How Can You Reassure Your Patients About What is inSPOT.org? Health Department Involvement? inSPOT.org is an online partner notification system • Health departments have a long and excellent that allows a patient to send an e-card informing record of handling partner notification HIV/STD his/her partner(s) they confidentially. have been exposed to an STD. The e-card allows • Patients and partners are treated non- the sender to select the judgmentally and with respect. Partner disease involved and includes links to other pub- • Health department notification ensures lic health sites and services. The cards can be sent confidential, consistent and accurate anonymously or confidentially. inSPOT is intended information for patients and partners. to complement rather than replace the role of health Services: care providers or public health workers in partner notification, especially for easily treatable infections The Health Provider’s Role like gonorrhea and chlamydia. What is Patient-Delivered Partner Therapy? Additional Disease Reporting Resources: • Patient-Delivered Partner Therapy (PDPT) is the treatment of partner(s) of patients DSHS HIV/STD Program disease reporting web page: diagnosed with an STD without an www.dshs.texas.gov/hivstd/reporting/ intervening exam. • While it would be ideal if every sex partner DSHS HIV/STD Program PDPT web page: underwent a medical exam, PDPT is an www.dshs.texas.gov/hivstd/ept/ effective option when this is not feasible. PDPT facilitates prompt partner treatment, DSHS HIV/STD Program main phone number: prevents re-infection and reduces 512-533-3000 transmission to other sex partners. Texas Statutes: • PDPT should be offered to all women and www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us heterosexual men infected with chlamydia or gonorrhea. Research has shown that HIV/ Texas Administrative Code: STD co-morbidities are uncommon among www.sos.state.tx.us/tac/ women and heterosexual men who sought treatment after exposure to an individual with chlamydia or gonorrhea. Additionally, no allergic reactions to the oral medications used in the treatment of gonorrhea and chlamydia have been reported. • PDPT is not recommended for use among men who have sex with men because of increased HIV and syphilis co-morbidity in this population. PDPT should not be used among partners with symptoms – especially if they have fever, pelvic, testicular, groin Texas Department of State Health Services or abdominal pain. These partners need a 1100 West 49th Street clinical evaluation. Austin, Texas 78756-3199 P.O. Box 149347 Austin, Texas 78714-9347 Texas Department of State Health Services • PDPT is expressly allowed under Texas Stock No. 4-215 Revised 5/2017 Administrative Code, Title 22, §190.8. The ultimate goals of partner services are • Work with local health department staff to effective method of partner notification. to: provide relevant and accurate information to However, most health departments limit your patients. DIS partner services to early syphilis • decrease HIV/STD incidence, and newly diagnosed HIV cases. Partner • Encourage patients to work with health notification by patients is usually the most • prevent transmission, department partner services programs. feasible approach for other STDs. • • avoid re-infection, and What are Partner Services? • Most commonly, patients notify partners themselves. Major drawbacks of this • promote healthy behavior changes Partner services are a broad array of services approach are difficulties in identifying and that reduce the likelihood of available to persons with HIV/AIDS, syphilis, contacting non-regular partners, low rates infection. gonorrhea or chlamydia and their sex and needle- of partner contact and treatment, and Here’s how health providers can help. sharing partners. Partner services are designed to: partner non-compliance in seeking care after notification. • confidentially identify persons with HIV and/or STD infection, What are the Benefits of DIS Partner Notification? What are Your Legal Reporting • notify partners of diagnosed patients of their Requirements as a Provider? possible exposure, and • Partners are much more likely to be notified • You are required to report HIV, AIDS, syphilis, and come in for treatment when notified by • provide infected persons and their partners with a DIS. gonorrhea, chlamydia and chancroid to your a range of medical, prevention and psychosocial local health department under Texas Health services. • Patients can avoid emotional or even and Safety Code Chapter 81, Subchapter C. violent confrontations. Rules governing reporting can be found in Partner services include: Texas Administrative Code, Title 25, Chapter 97. • DIS and other trained health department • partner treatment and/or testing by the index personnel use the utmost discretion to • You are required to submit a complete disease patient’s provider, notify persons at risk, never revealing reporting form to the health department in a anything about the original patient. timely manner. • partner referral to another provider like an STD clinic, and • Patients and their partners are treated non- • You must report primary and secondary judgmentally and with respect. syphilis to your local health department by • partner notification by the patient, the provider telephone within one working day. or trained public health professionals called • The patient decides which partner(s) s/he Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS). will inform and which partner(s) the health • You must report other STDs, including HIV, department will locate and notify. within seven working days. What is Partner Notification? What Else Can Providers Do? • Partner notification is the process of contacting • The DIS can coach patients on how to persons who have had sex or shared needles approach any discussion with his/her • Routinely screen and treat patients for with someone diagnosed with HIV or other STDs partner(s). STDs, including HIV, in accordance with CDC to offer them testing, treatment and counseling • The DIS will discuss the infection, treatment guidelines. services. Partner notification is a critical step and prevention of STDs and answer any to stem the transmission of STDs to uninfected questions the patient or their partners • When you diagnose a patient with HIV/STD, partners and help persons avoid re-infection. talk with them about the need to notify their have about his/her situation. DIS also make sex partner(s). Let your patient know that the • Partner notification can be done by patients, referrals for additional services. health department may contact them to help healthcare providers or a DIS. DIS partner them confidentially notify their sex partner(s). notification has been shown to be the most • Offer Patient-Delivered Partner Therapy (PDPT) when appropriate.