Let’s Talk About... Letting your partners know they’ve been exposed to an STD.

Partner Services can help. • Your local health department offers free Partner Services to help find sex or drug- injection partners and alert them of their Ways to inform risk of exposure to HIV or another sexually your partners transmitted disease (STD). • If you have been diagnosed with an STD, If you have HIV or another STD (syphilis, we can help you tell your partners they gonorrhea or chlamydia), it is very important have been exposed. to let your sex or drug-injection partners know they may have been exposed. • We help your sex or drug-injection partners Here are a few ways to do this: get fast testing and treatment. • Infection risk decreases by treating you and Health department tells your partners. your partners for STDs. A trained health department staff member contacts your partners and alerts them of Your privacy is protected their exposure without using your name. By law, doctors must tell local and state health Your partners receive or are referred to departments when anyone tests positive for testing, treatment and other services. HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. It is You tell your partners. You take on the possible the health department will have this responsibility of letting your partners know information before you and your doctor discuss of their exposure. You inform them about your test results. Rest assured that everything local services, including testing. Partner you discuss with the health department and Services coaches you through this process. your doctor is confidential. Both you and the health department Prevention and you tell your partners. You and health If you are unsure how to department staff tell your partners of their protect yourself or others exposure. A staff member helps you during from HIV and other STDs, the process and provides your partners talk with your health care information, resources and testing. provider. Remember, your choices affect your life, your partners’ lives Questions or need assistance? Call us! and the lives of others in your community.

For other resources go to: www.sotheycanknow.org or www.InSpot.org.

You can get this document in other languages, large print, braille or a format PUBLIC HEALTH DIVISION you prefer. Contact HIV and STD Prevention programs at 971-673-0153. We HIV/STD/TB Section accept all relay calls or you can dial 711. OHA 9972A (02/2017)