[HIV and partner notification in Denmark]

Counselling and partner notification play significant roles in the prevention of HIV. In Denmark, there is no overall strategy or monitoring concerning partner notification and the results of partner notification are unknown. The primary purposes of the study were to describe the present organisation and conditions concerning partner notification in Denmark.

Information about organizational factors was collected through a questionnaire and supplementary interviews. The study population was all consecutive, newly-diagnosed HIV positive persons in the period from 1 May 2005 to 1 June 2006. During this period 254 were diagnosed with HIV.

The study showed significant differences in the organisation of partner notification. A total of 123 index cases were offered partner notification. The stated number of partners per index case was 2.4, and 1.4 partners were traced per index case and 0.28 new HIV positives were found per index case.

Partner notification was offered to approximately half of the newly-diagnosed HIV positives. Partner notification is carried out very differently in Danish hospitals. Every fourth traced partner was HIV positive without knowing it. A more intensive and uniform effort with regard to partner notification is necessary.