Partner notification

Question 1

Types of partner notification

Answer 1

3 main types of partner notification

1: Patient referral
2. Provider referral
3. Contract referral

Question 2

What is the most common type of partner notification

Answer 2

patient referral

Question 3

what is provider referral partner notification

Answer 3

the service takes responsibility for informing sexual partner(s) of the index patient of their possible exposure to an STI

requires obtaining the names of sexual partners along + other identifying information

Question 4

what is Contract referral partner notification

Answer 4

The service agrees with the patient that the index patient will contact their sexual partners within a certain time period.
Provider referral is carried out if the index patient fails to do this.

Question 5

Which STIs should contact tracing be carried out for?

Answer 5

All STIs that could cause significant morbidity in an untreated partner

Gonorrhoea 􏰀 
Chlamydia 􏰀 
Syphilis
 HIV
 Hepatitis B and C
􏰀 Pelvic inflammatory disease 􏰀 
Epididymitis
􏰀Non-specific urethritis (NSU)

Question 6

Look-back interval for partner notification for gonorrhoea

Answer 6

Men with urethral symptoms = 2 weeks before symptom onset

Asymptomatic men / non urethral GC / all women = 3 months

Question 7

Look-back interval for partner notification for chlamydia

Answer 7

Men with urethral symptoms = 4 weeks

Asymptomatic men / non urethral CT / all women = 6 months

Question 8

Look-back interval for partner notification for chancroid

Answer 8

10 days prior to onset of symptoms

Question 9

What do you do if the patients last sexual contact was longer ago than the look back period for PN?

Answer 9

inform the most recent sexual partner

Question 10

Look-back interval for partner notification for epididymo-orchitis

Answer 10

Use look-back intervals for CT / GC if these are detected

If not = 6 months before symptoms

Question 11

Look-back interval for partner notification for hepatitis A

Answer 11

Index case with jaundice = 2 weeks prior to + 1 week after onset of jaundice

Index cases without jaundice = estimate when infection is likely to have occurred based on a risk assessment

Notify PHE if an outbreak is suspected

Question 12

Look-back interval for partner notification for hepatitis B

Answer 12

Notification should include sexual contacts and injecting equipment sharing partners

Index case with jaundice = two weeks before the onset of jaundice until surface antigen negative

Index cases without jaundice - estimate when infection is likely to have occurred

chronic Hep B = as far back as any episode of jaundice / time of suspected infection acquisition
+ screen children born to Hep B +ve women

Question 13

Look-back interval for partner notification for hepatitis C

Answer 13

PN ONLY offered in 2 specific situations
- vaginal / peno-anal sexual contact + index case and/or sexual contact are HIV +

• Sharing injection equipment occurred during infectious period

infective period = 2 weeks before onset of jaundice
BUT usually there is no jaundice
therefore look-back to likely time of infection (e.g. blood transfusion / 1st sharing injection equipment)

+ check children born to women with hepatitis C infection have been tested

Question 14

why is PN for Hepatitis C only offered to sexual partners if either the index or the contact patient is HIV +ve

Answer 14

Sexual transmission of HCV is uncommon

Unless one or both the index case and sexual contacts also HIV infection

Question 15

Look-back interval for partner notification for HIV

Answer 15

Estimate, based on a risk assessment, when infection is likely to have occurred

PN look back to 3 months prior to the estimated acquisition time

Ongoing PN for new partners as part of standard HIV care

Testing of children of HIV +ve F

Question 16

When attempting to estimate the likely time of HIV infection acquisition to use for PN, what history should be considered

Answer 16

sexual history
HIV testing history
- include antenatal and Blood Transfusion Service testing
History of possible seroconversion illness

Question 17

Look-back interval for partner notification for LGV

Answer 17

4 weeks prior to symptom onset

Question 18

Look-back interval for partner notification for NSU

Answer 18

Men with urethral symptoms = 4 weeks

Screening asymptomatic men is not recommended - therefore PN not recommended for this group

Question 19

Look-back interval for partner notification for PID

Answer 19

Use look-back intervals for CT / GC if these are detected

If not CT / GC look-back = 6 months before symptom onset

Question 20

Look-back interval for partner notification for Public lice

Answer 20

3 months before symptom onset

Question 21

Look-back interval for partner notification for scabies

Answer 21

2 months before symptom onset

including non sexual contacts with prolonged skin-to-skin contact, bed / clothes sharing and household contacts

Question 22

Look-back interval for partner notification for syphilis

Answer 22

Early syphilis:
o Primary syphilis = 3 months before symptom onset
o Secondary / early latent syphilis = 2 years before symptom onset

o Late latent / late syphilis = back to the date of the last negative syphilis serology or whole sexual lifetime

Question 23

Look-back interval for partner notification for trichomonas

Answer 23

4 weeks