Office of HIV/AIDS & Viral Hepatitis

Information for Providers

Partner Notification

What is partner notification?

Partner notification is the act of informing the sex or needle-sharing partners of HIV-infected patients that they have been exposed to HIV and are at risk of being infected. The exposed partner is offered HIV education, testing, counseling, and appropriate referrals. Partner notification can be done by the HIV-infected patient, a health care provider, or the Department of Health’s Partner Counseling and Referral staff.

Why is notification important?

• It is an important tool in breaking the chain of infection.
• Partner notification, especially when done by a trained professional, provides partners with crucial health information, counseling and referrals.
• A current or past female partner may be pregnant or contemplating pregnancy. If infected, she will need to make choices about her pregnancy or drug therapies to help prevent HIV transmission to her baby.
• The development of more effective HIV therapies that can delay the progression of HIV disease has made it even more critical to reach infected individuals as early as possible.
• 5 to 50% of the sex and needle-sharing partners of HIV-infected individuals are also infected with HIV. Many of these partners do not recognize their risk or are unaware of their infection (CDC).

What are my responsibilities as a health care provider?

Before the HIV test, inform the patient about the need to notify past and present sexual and/or needle-sharing partners if the test results are positive.

If the patient tests positive:

• Provide assistance to persons in notifying partners and confirm that those partners have been notified, and/or
• Refer individuals to the Department of Health for assistance in notifying partners, and/or
• Refer partners notified by the patient for testing and counseling, and/or
• Address potential domestic violence issues.

For more information on how to counsel patients on partner notification, go to Steps for Partner Notification.

How do I confirm that partners have been notified?

Confirmation can be achieved by any one of the following:

• You notify the partner yourself.
• A health department official notifies the partner.
• The partner of your patient tells you that he or she has been notified.
• Your patient reports that the partner has been notified.
• Any other measure that constitutes a “good faith” effort to assure partners have been notified.

How can the Department of Health help?

Many health care providers don’t have time to notify partners. The health department can assist you. Call the health department and they will:

• Discuss partner notification with your patient.
• Gather necessary partner locating information.
• Help your patient develop a plan for telling partners.
• Accompany patients who want help when telling their partners.
• Confidentially notify partners for your patient.
• Offer partners professional HIV education, testing, counseling and referrals.
• Confirm the notification.

Call the Partner Counseling and Referral staff at the Rhode Island Department of Health at 401-222-2320 or call Phil Barber at Partner Counseling and Referral Service at 401-265-0518.