HIV Partner Notification: Baseline Client and Staff Attitudes

Background Partner Notification (PN) is an underutilized HIV prevention strategy. Baseline data collected prior to a peer educator training intervention to promote HIV PN are presented. This report summarizes client and staff attitudes towards anonymous HIV PN prior to the peer education intervention.

Methods HIV+ clients from an HIV/AIDS Service organization and a methadone maintenance treatment program (N=68) were administered a brief survey on: demographics, disclosure, knowledge of an anonymous Contact Notification Assistance Program (CNAP). Staff members (N=43) were also administered a survey on attitudes towards and experience with PN.

Results The client survey revealed: (1) half had self-disclosed to more than 10 people; (2) 4 clients (6%) had told no one their status; (3) 40% knew of, but only 7 (10%) used CNAP. The staff survey showed: (1) 91% believed that HIV+ persons have a responsibility to notify their partners, yet only 51% ever asked clients if they needed notification assistance; (2) 63% of staff members knew of, but only 23% had advised clients to use CNAP; (3) 6 (14%) staff members reported having ever assisted clients with notifying partner(s).

Conclusion Rates of utilization of both anonymous and assisted HIV PN are low in this sample. While most HIV+ individuals reported disclosing their status to others, past sex or drug sharing partners may not have been notified. Peer educators will promote both anonymous notification and disclosure. The effects of 3 months of peer education on both clients and staff will be evaluated at the completion of the program.