Let the Infected Patients Identify Their Partners . . . and Treat Them, Too

Patients with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are frequently given responsibility for notifying their sexual partners about the need for treatment, but few patients do. Investigators reviewed results from 14 studies of interventions designed to involve patients with STIs in the identification and care of their sexual partners. The studies included more than 12,000 patients in the U.S., four African countries, and Denmark who had gonorrhea, chlamydia, nongonococcal urethritis, or trichomoniasis. The primary outcome was a reduction in the incidence or prevalence of STIs in index patients. Some reports, however, contained results only for secondary outcomes, such as number of partners treated, tested, notified, or located (a detailed ta…