Expedited partner therapy: a new strategy for reducing sexually transmitted diseases in Minnesota

Chlamydia and gonorrhea are the two most commonly reported communicable diseases in Minnesota and the United States. Treatment of sexual partners is essential for control and prevention of these and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). However, traditional strategies for getting partners into treatment such as patient referral, physician referral, or referral from the health department are not always successful. Expedited partner therapy (EPT) is the practice of treating the sexual partners of persons with STDs without medical evaluation. This article describes the evidence that EPT reduces persistent chlamydial and gonococcal infections and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations for EPT for heterosexual partners of patients with chlamydia and/or gonorrhea. It also addresses legislation that removed the last-known legal barrier to EPT in Minnesota as well as concerns about implementation of this treatment strategy.