The Organization, Content, and Case-Finding Effectiveness of HIV Assisted Partner Services in High HIV Morbidity Areas of the United States. (15th April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Golden, Matthew R.; AugsJoost, Brett; Bender, Melverta; Brady, Kathleen A.; Collins, Lyell S.; Dombrowski, Julia D.; Ealey, Jamila; Garcia, Christopher; George, Dan; Gilliard, Bernard; Harris, Terrainia; Johnson, Cynthia; Khosropour, Christine M.; Rumanes, Sophia F.; Surita, Karen; Tabidze, Irina; Udeagu, Chi-Chi N.; Walker-Baban, Cherie; Cramer, Natalie O.
• Is Part Of: Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes. Volume 89:Number 5(2022)
• Page Start: 498
• Page End: 504
• Publication Date: 2022-04-15
• Subjects: partner notification -- contact tracing -- HIV -- public health; AIDS (Disease) -- Periodicals; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome -- Periodicals; AIDS (Disease); Periodicals; 616.9792005
• DOI: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000002904
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1525-4135

Abstract

Abstract : Background: The contemporary effectiveness of assisted partner notification services (APS) in the United States is uncertain. Setting: State and local jurisdictions in the United States that reported ≥300 new HIV diagnoses in 2018 and were participating in the Ending the Epidemic Initiative. Methods: The study surveyed health departments to collect data on the content and organization of APS and aggregate data on APS outcomes for 2019. Analyses defined contact and case-finding indices (i.e., sex partners named and newly diagnosed per index case receiving APS) and estimated staff case-finding productivity. Results: Sixteen (84%) of 19 jurisdictions responded to the survey, providing APS outcome data for 14 areas (74%). Most health departments routinely integrated APS with linkage of cases and partners to HIV care (88%) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (88%). A total of 19, 164 persons were newly diagnosed with HIV in the 14 areas. Staff initiated APS investigations on 14, 203 cases (74%) and provided APS to 9937 cases (52%). Cases named 6799 partners (contact index = 0.68), of whom 1841 (27%) had previously diagnosed HIV, 2202 (32%) tested HIV negative, 541 (8% of named and 20% of tested partners) were newly diagnosed with HIV, and 2215 (33%) were not known to have tested. Across jurisdictions, the case-finding index was 0.054 (median = 0.05, range 0.015–0.12). Health departments employed 292 full-time equivalent staff to provide APS. These staff identified a median of 2.0 new HIV infections per staff per year. APS accounted for 2.8% of new diagnoses in 2019. Conclusions: HIV case-finding resulting from APS in the United States is low.