HIV-infected individuals as partners in prevention: a redefinition of the partner notification process

Over the past ten years, the advances that have turned HIV into a chronic illness have also highlighted the importance of integrating prevention and care in the fight against the epidemic. This integration involves not only the creation of new programs, but also a reexamination of the process through which services and supports are provided. In this article, HIV partner notification is used as a case example; the discussion includes: the shifting time frame within which partner notification occurs; the expanding role of HIV-positive individuals in effecting both disease management and prevention goals; the connection between partner-notification and behaviorally-based risk reduction; and the ethical implications of advances on the partner notification process. The authors argue that partner notification services must be located in the context of overall treatment for infected individuals, and demonstrate how a redefinition of the partner notification process can serve as a spring-board for ongoing prevention counseling and support.