RESOURCES Reasons to notify your sex partners that you have HIV: Contact Us For more information or to speak with a PARTNER SERVICES counselor, please contact us at: PATIENT GUIDE * Helps stop the chain of HIV transmission email: [email protected] phone: 650-573-2346

* Gives current and past partners an www.smchealth.org/std opportunity you may not have had

* Your partner can get medical care sooner INFORMING your past and current partners IS HIV PREVENTION * Relieves stress and guilt

HIV Testing in San Mateo County: * Improved health for your partners Edison STD Clinic * Makes the community a healthier (located in the San Mateo Medical Center) place 222 W. 39th Avenue, San Mateo 650-573-2999 Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:00-7:00pm

You can get help telling your Testing on Demand sex partners you have HIV: Mobile Testing Van Y 650-619-9125 A certified Partner Services counselor can find and notify your Services offered in English and Spanish. partner(s) about possible exposure. Interpretation available in other languages. They will offer them STD and/or

HIV testing without telling them 24% of partners notified through Partner anything about you. Services in California were identified as Thank you to San Francisco Public Health Department for assistance in the assembly of this brochure. new HIV cases WHAT IS IT? WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS? BASIC STEPS: Partner Services is a program that assists YOU can do it: You have received a positive HIV (and/or STD) If you would like to tell a past people with HIV or other STDs in notifying diagnosis; OR you have known you had HIV or current partner, but aren’t sure for a while. sex and/or needle sharing partners of how, we can offer counseling and 1 potential exposure. Partner Services is support until you feel ready. completely anonymous and always voluntary. You would like to inform your sex/ needle-sharing partner(s) they may have been WE can do it TOGETHER: WHO IS IT FOR? exposed to HIV. You meet with a Partner If you would like to tell your Services counselor to discuss the disclosure partner with a counselor present, options and decide how2 to tell each partner. *People newly diagnosed with HIV we can offer support to you and *People who have been aware of their HIV your partner. We can give your Depending on which options you choose, the status for some time partner some information on HIV (or the STD), answer any questions, counselor will work with you to plan for and *People with certain STDs, including and the partner can choose practice disclsoure, or collect information syphilis, gonorrhea and Chlamydia, whether to be tested right away. about partners you would like to notify you have HIV or not anonymously. Sometimes3 minimal information WE can do it for you: about a partner, such as a screen name or email Partner Services helps people living with HIV If you would like to inform address, will still allow us to confidentially who want to inform partners that they should partner(s) anonymously, we will notify this person of potential exposure. be tested for HIV, but would like to stay collect contact information about anonymous. As an alternative, it assists those the partners and confidentially If you choose anonymous notification for any who would like counselor support in notify them of potential exposure partners, trained field staff will contact partners preparing to tell a current or past partner. without giving out ANY information confidentially, and counsel them in a about you. No names, dates or any private setting about exposure(s) to HIV, information about the encounter you an STD, or both. No names, dates or any info had are ever provided. Your partner WHAT HAPPENS? about you or the encounter are revealed. If will then be offered free, confidential 4 HIV/STD testing. you choose to tell your partner yourself or You talk with your counselor, doctor, or nurse with a counselor, you will talk about when and about notifying your partners that they might how to do this, discuss potential reactions, have been exposed to HIV. A Partner Services ****************************** and set a goal for when you want to notify counselor will meet with you to discuss how WE NEED YOUR HELP the person. you would like to inform your partner(s). If you choose to notify any anonymously, the No matter how you got HIV, the right thing Partner is offered free HIV/STD testing and counselor will collect contact information. to do is inform your partners. Even if the counseling and/or referrals for any other Partner(s) would then be by notified phone, person you got it from didn’t tell you or prevention services or5 County resources as email, mail, or in-person to confidentially let wasn’t able to tell you, you can make sure needed. them know they may have been exposed you tell your partners. Informing your to HIV. partners will help them take care of Partner receives HIV/STD test results. Treatment themselves and will prevent many other and referral for medical care services are people from getting HIV. Please do your part. provided if needed.6