PARTNER NOTIFICATION FOR SEXUALLY-TRANSMITTED DISEASES - AN OVERVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of alternative partner notific ation strategies for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B. Data sources: Studies were identified using MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCISE ARCH and other databases, review of reference lists and personal conta ct with over 80 international experts. Study selection: Studies with a t least two comparison groups exposed to different partner notificatio n strategies were included, Data extraction: Methodological rigor was assessed, and information regarding study populations, interventions a nd outcomes was extracted independently by two reviewers. Main results : Twelve studies met our inclusion criteria; five were methodologicall y strong; seven provided data on the referral process; four provided d ata on trained interviewers compared with routine care providers; and three provided data on the interview process. Conclusions: Only limite d, broad conclusions regarding the effectiveness of various partner no tification approaches could be drawn from these comparative studies. U ntil newer data become available, practice guidelines must be based to a large extent on other grounds.