Best-practice guidance for all SHAs on the PN process, different types of PN and usage, PN interviews, PN/HIV-specific issues and monitoring PN outcomes. Download SSHA’s Partner Notification Guidelines and send us your feedback by 13th November 2015.
Introduction
Partner Notification (PN) may be defined as the process of providing access to specific forms of healthcare for sexual contacts who may be at risk of infection from an individual (index case) diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
The PN process includes:
- Providing access to advice, testing and—if appropriate—treatment for known sexual contacts rates
- Preventing long-term complications of infection
- Offering health education opportunities and encouragement of behaviour change
PN has been used to help contain the spread of STIs since the early 1900s. Aside from individual clinical benefits PN has important public health benefits including;
- Controlling the spread of STIs
- Reducing STI related morbidity and mortality
- Reaching people with asymptomatic STI infections
Background
As the professional organisation representing Sexual Health Advisers (SHA) in the UK, the Society of Sexual Health Advisers (SSHA) commissioned the updating of its guidance on partner notification. This was in order to:
- Support SHAs, clinicians and service providers in the delivery of high quality PN
- Support the consistent commissioning and monitoring of services to ensure high standards of PN regardless of provider
- Apart from breaking the chain of infection, effective PN can reduce re-infection
Download the full version
Your feedback is valued
Please send your feedback to Martin Murchie at martin.murchie@nhs.net by 13th November 2015 using the PN Guidelines Feedback Form (PDF, 28KB).
Leave a Reply