Abstract
Background Despite partner notification (PN) being an essential component of sexually transmitted infection (STI) control programs, little is known about how contacts of STIs are notified, and the time taken to present for testing. We aimed to evaluate both aspects in people presenting to Sydney Sexual Health Centre who reported being a sexual contact of someone diagnosed with an STI. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational study of data collected between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021 at Sydney Sexual Health Centre. A pop-up field in the electronic medical record collected data about people’s experience of being notified of their sexual contact with an STI. We ran univariable and multivariable analysis of time to presentation and PN method against clinical and demographic information. Results There were 2182 presentations because of STI contact notification. Median time to presentation was 3 days (IQR 1–7 days), which did not differ by spoken or electronic PN. In the multivariable model, people who received spoken PN were less likely to present in <3 days compared with contacts who received electronic PN, (aOR 0.78, 95% CI 0.65–0.93, P = 0.007). This indicates electronic PN may prompt faster testing for STIs. Higher partner number was associated with receiving electronic PN. Conclusions Our study suggests that electronic PN may prompt faster testing for STIs. It provides valuable insights into the characteristics of STI contacts, who are rarely the focus of PN research. Understanding what motivates notified contacts to seek care is integral in modernising PN practices, as rates of STIs climb.