Strategies for sexually transmitted infection partner notification

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorCoetzee, Nicolen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorMyers, Jonnyen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMathews, Catherineen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-11-08T08:06:36Z
dc.date.available2014-11-08T08:06:36Z
dc.date.issued2002en_ZA
dc.descriptionBibliography: p. 171-172.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractSouth Africa's HIV epidemic has increased rapidly over the last 10 years, and developing effective strategies to curb it is a priority. The presence of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) facilitates the sexual transmission of HIV, and the control of STIs has been shown to be an effective way of reducing HIV incidence. One component of the process of STI control is partner notification: a process whereby the sexual partners of patients who have been diagnosed with an STI are informed of their exposure to infection and of the importance of obtaining effective treatment. Partner notification is one of the two strategies to reach and treat asymptomatic and unrecognised STIs, which are highly prevalent in South Africa. Unfortunately, current partner notification strategies are not very effective, and there is a need to improve their effectiveness. This thesis investigates strategies to improve partner notification in South Africa. This aim is achieved through three separate studies. The first is a systematic review of published and unpublished randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted around the world, comparing the effects various partner notification strategies, in an attempt to uncover evidence of effective strategies. The review uses methods advocated by the Cochrane Collaboration. Eleven RCTs were found, including 8014 participants, only two of which were conducted in developing countries. The review found moderately strong evidence that either provider referral alone, or the choice between patient and provider referral, or contract referral, when compared with patient referral, improved partner notification. This evidence is of limited value in South Africa, where public health services have not been able to implement provider or contract referral due to the prohibitive staffing costs involved. The review also found that verbal, nurse-given health education together with intense patient-centred counselling by lay workers, when compared with standard care results in small increases in the rate of partners treated. The review concludes that there is a need for evaluations of patient education interventions (including audiovisual presentations), of interventions combining provider training and patient education, and for evaluations to be conducted in developing countries. Further, there is a need to measure potential harmful effects, such as domestic violence, to ensure that partner notification does more good than harm.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationMathews, C. (2002). <i>Strategies for sexually transmitted infection partner notification</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9377en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationMathews, Catherine. <i>"Strategies for sexually transmitted infection partner notification."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9377en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationMathews, C. 2002. Strategies for sexually transmitted infection partner notification. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Mathews, Catherine AB - South Africa's HIV epidemic has increased rapidly over the last 10 years, and developing effective strategies to curb it is a priority. The presence of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) facilitates the sexual transmission of HIV, and the control of STIs has been shown to be an effective way of reducing HIV incidence. One component of the process of STI control is partner notification: a process whereby the sexual partners of patients who have been diagnosed with an STI are informed of their exposure to infection and of the importance of obtaining effective treatment. Partner notification is one of the two strategies to reach and treat asymptomatic and unrecognised STIs, which are highly prevalent in South Africa. Unfortunately, current partner notification strategies are not very effective, and there is a need to improve their effectiveness. This thesis investigates strategies to improve partner notification in South Africa. This aim is achieved through three separate studies. The first is a systematic review of published and unpublished randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted around the world, comparing the effects various partner notification strategies, in an attempt to uncover evidence of effective strategies. The review uses methods advocated by the Cochrane Collaboration. Eleven RCTs were found, including 8014 participants, only two of which were conducted in developing countries. The review found moderately strong evidence that either provider referral alone, or the choice between patient and provider referral, or contract referral, when compared with patient referral, improved partner notification. This evidence is of limited value in South Africa, where public health services have not been able to implement provider or contract referral due to the prohibitive staffing costs involved. The review also found that verbal, nurse-given health education together with intense patient-centred counselling by lay workers, when compared with standard care results in small increases in the rate of partners treated. The review concludes that there is a need for evaluations of patient education interventions (including audiovisual presentations), of interventions combining provider training and patient education, and for evaluations to be conducted in developing countries. Further, there is a need to measure potential harmful effects, such as domestic violence, to ensure that partner notification does more good than harm. DA - 2002 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2002 T1 - Strategies for sexually transmitted infection partner notification TI - Strategies for sexually transmitted infection partner notification UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9377 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/9377
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationMathews C. Strategies for sexually transmitted infection partner notification. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, 2002 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9377en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Public Health and Family Medicineen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherPublic Health and Primary Health Careen_ZA
dc.titleStrategies for sexually transmitted infection partner notificationen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
thesis_hsf_2002_mathews_c (1).pdf
Size:
16.18 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
PhD / Doctoral