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Partner Management and Public Health Measures
Partner Management
Communication is an important part of partner management. According to the current
CDC recommendations, patients should be instructed to refer their sex partners for
evaluation, testing, and treatment.
- All sex partners of patients who have gonorrhea should be evaluated and treated for gonorrheal and chlamydial infection if their last sexual contact with the patient was within 60 days before the onset of symptoms or diagnosis of infection in the patient.
- If a patient’s last sexual intercourse was >60 days before the onset
of symptoms or diagnosis, the patient’s most recent sex partner should
be treated.
- Patients should be instructed to avoid sexual contact until
therapy is completed and until they and their sex partners no longer
have symptoms.
- For heterosexual patients whose partners’
treatment can not be ensured, delivery of
antibiotic therapy by the patient to their
partners is an option.
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Reporting Requirements
Laws and regulations in all states require that persons with gonorrhea be reported
to public health authorities by clinicians, labs, or both. To find out reporting
requirements in your area, click
here
for links to state and local public health departments.
Screening
- Pregnancy - A test for N. gonorrhoeae should be performed at the first prenatal visit for women at risk or for women living in an area in which the prevalence of N. gonorrhoeae is high. A repeat test should be performed during the third trimester for those at continued risk.
- The U.S. Preventive Service Task Force recommends that clinicians screen all sexually active women, for gonorrhea infection if they are at increased risk of infection. Women aged <25 years are at highest risk for gonorrhea infection. Other populations should be selected for screening based on local prevalence of gonorrhea and the patient's risk behaviors.
- The CDC recommends screening of at-risk men who have sex with men at least annually for urethral and rectal gonorrhea and chlamydia, and for pharyngeal gonorrhea.
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