Patient-led partner referral enhances sexually transmitted disease servicedelivery in two towns in the Central African Republic

In Bambari and Bria, 2 towns in the Central African Republic (CAR), we anal ysed a patient-led partner referral programme within enhanced sexually tran smitted disease (STD) services. New (index) patients received syndromic man agement, counselling about notifying and treating contacts, and vouchers fo r distribution. From October 1993 to February 1996, 5232 and 4320 patient v isits, of which 1814 (35%) and 4320 (30%) were contact referral visits, wer e logged in Bambari and Bria, respectively. Vouchers were distributed for a t least 90% of contacts. Index and contact patients had similar age and sex distributions. In both towns, having a spouse (Bambari: odds ratio [OR] 1. 5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-1.7; Bria: OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.5-2.3) was a factor associated with successful referral of a partner. Successful refer ral was accomplished by both male and female patients. Appropriate counsell ing techniques and vouchers facilitated partner referral. Further research on how to reach casual partners would enhance STD control efforts using pat ient-led partner referral.