Partner Services Basics
If you are diagnosed with HIV or certain sexually transmitted diseases, Partner Services is a process by which your sex and/or needle sharing partners are notified that they may have been exposed to an infection and need to be tested.
Types of Partner Services
Anonymous Third-Party Notification
This is when a professional health counselor notifies your partners. You provide identifying and locating information only. Your name and identity are never shared with your partners. Most people choose this method as it is the only method that provides anonymity.
Dual Disclosure
Dual disclosure is when you notify your partner in the presence of and with the assistance of a counselor. The counselor supports you during the process and can answer questions from your partner.
Self-Disclosure
Self-disclosure is when you notify your partners and bring them in or encourage them to come in for testing and treatment. A counselor will help you plan and practice what you are going to say. If your partners don’t come in for services, however, you will be asked to identify them so the health department can contact them. Some people prefer self-disclosure; however, it does not protect your identity, and you have to deal with the possible negative reactions from your partners.
Got a text saying you may have been exposed to an STI or HIV?
Did you get a text saying you should get tested for HIV or other STDs from a blocked number? Or from a phone number that doesn’t accept text replies or calls back? The HIV and STD programs at VDH do not send text messages like that. There are other websites and apps that do. To remain anonymous, sometimes a person may use a text service to let a partner know they need to get tested.
If you get a text like that and think you might be at risk, it’s a good idea to see your doctor or go to your local health department for testing. The only way to know for sure if you have HIV or another STD is by getting tested. Many times, STDs show no signs or symptoms, or they are mistaken for something else.
Frequently Asked Questions/FAQs
Yes. You may have heard it called Partner Notification, Contact Tracing, or Disclosure Assistance Services. There are materials available that address “Disclosure Assistance Services” or Partner Services. Poster may be obtained to display in clinic settings and medical providers’ offices, and postcards are available for clients to share with partners and colleagues.
The Virginia Department of Health protects your health information. If such information is requested by law enforcement, the health department will require a court order to block its release and subsequently request assistance from the Office of the Attorney General prior to the release of any information. The health department takes patient confidentiality very seriously. The Partner Services process will not work unless the Virginia Department of Health protects patient information to the greatest extent possible.
Partner Services (identifying, testing and providing treatment to individuals at risk for STDs and HIV) is one of the most effective methods of stopping disease transmission. Many people are unaware that they may have been exposed to an infection. Because many diseases have no symptoms, people can continue to pass them to others without knowing it or suffer long-term health consequences.
Health department staff can discuss these concerns with you and help you make a plan, identify support, or obtain referrals for shelters and organizations that specialize in domestic violence.
Although there are some cases in which a partner might figure out who infected them, the health department will not confirm this information. This does mean you need to have a conversation with your partner. However, if your partner is not informed, they could pass the STD back to you after you are treated. If they’ve been infected with HIV, they deserve to know so that they can obtain treatment to prolong their life and avoid passing the virus to someone else. Health department staff can help prepare you for this conversation or can talk with you and your partner together.
No. The health department will protect your information and will not disclose it to your employer.
The more information you provide, the easier it will be for us to locate your partners. We may be able to reach your partner by their screen name and the chat room/website you met them on. Any additional information you can provide such as nicknames, physical description, where they like to hang out, can also be helpful.
No, the health department staff cannot force you to talk with them. However, they may make more than one attempt to discuss partners with you. Notifying people that they may have been exposed to an infectious disease is a critical part of protecting the public’s health. Health department staff may be persistent in their efforts to get the names of your partners. If you provide false information, phone numbers and addresses, you may also get a follow-up visit. You’ll experience less disruption if you are truthful with the health department counselors up front.
In order to prevent abuse of the system, we must be able to confirm an individual’s diagnosis before we contact any partners. This protects everyone and prevents people from using the process as a prank or in a malicious manner. Your personal information is confidential, and only used for medical confirmation purposes as described. An individual’s name/personal information is never shared with partners in the Partner Services process.