WHO recommends assistance for people with HIV to notify their partners

Overview

The sexual partners and drug injecting partners of people diagnosed with HIV infection have an increased probability of also being HIV-positive.

Assisted HIV partner notification services are a simple and effective way to reach these partners, many of whom are undiagnosed and unaware of their HIV exposure, and may welcome support and an opportunity to test for HIV.

Assisted partner notification has been an important public health approach in infectious disease management for decades, including in programmes for sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis, but has not been routinely implemented for people with HIV.