partner notification and treatment in urethritis

Last edited 09/2018 and last reviewed 06/2021

Partner notification and treatment

• patients should be advised about notifying partners to attend genitourinary clinics or a GP (1)
• in UK, partener notification and treatment is usually done by specialist health advisers in genitourinary medicine clinics (2)
• according to evidence obtained from chlamydia screening studies project, partner notification can be carried out efficiently in primary care by trained practice nurses with telephone follow up by health advisers (2)
• all at-risk sexual partners of men with urethritis should be evaluated and offered treatment (3)
• the "look back" time is arbitrary:
  • Gonorrhoea
    • with symptoms - all sexual partners in previous 2 weeks
    • no symptoms - all sexual partners in previous 3 months
  • Chlamydia
    • with symptoms - all sexual partners in previous 4 weeks
    • without symptoms - all sexual partners in previous 6 months
  • non Chlamydia or non Gonorrhea
    • with symptoms - all sexual partners in previous 4 weeks
    • without symptoms - all sexual partners in previous 6 months (1)
• female partners of patients with Chlamydia urethritis should be treated for suspected chlamydial infection pending the results (3)

Reference:

• 1.Royal College of General Practitioners 2005. Sexually Transmitted Infections in Primary Care
• 2. Low N et al. Partner notification of chlamydia infection in primary care: randomised controlled trial and analysis of resource use. BMJ. 2006;332(7532):14-19
• 3.British Association for Sexual Health and HIV. 2007 UK National Guideline on the Management of Nongonococcal Urethritis