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Usefulness of partner notification for syphilis control
K S Kohl1, T A Farley, J Ewell
1Division of Applied Public Health Training, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Louisiana Office of Public Health, New Orleans 70112, USA.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
|May 4, 1999
Summary
Partner notification successfully identifies many infected individuals for syphilis treatment. However, additional strategies are crucial for complete syphilis elimination efforts in the United States.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Disease Control
Background:
- The United States faces a syphilis epidemic, with syphilis control traditionally relying on partner notification.
- The effectiveness of partner notification in syphilis elimination efforts requires further definition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe and compare the outcomes of partner notification during and after a syphilis epidemic.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive analysis was conducted using interview records from early syphilis patients in Louisiana between 1993 and 1996.
Main Results:
- Partner notification identified 25% (3,245/12,927) of early syphilis cases.
- Over half of patients (55%) named infected contacts, leading to the examination of 22,825 contacts.
- Partner notification identified 9,374 infected contacts (41%), with 18% being newly diagnosed infections. No significant differences were observed between epidemic and postepidemic periods.
Conclusions:
- Partner notification effectively identifies and treats a substantial number of individuals with syphilis.
- Achieving syphilis elimination necessitates the integration of complementary control strategies beyond partner notification.