Background:
Testing sex partners of persons with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) is a key public health strategy.

Objective:
To compare STDs among men who have sex with men (MSM) who report a sexual contact to a partner with an STD and MSM seen in an STD clinic for other reasons.

Method:
We analyzed primary reason for STD clinic visit and STD diagnosis between 1998-2004 among MSM. Pearson chi-square test was used to compare differences in chlamydia (CT) and gonorrhea (GC) between contacts to an STD and those seen for others reasons. Logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (AOR), adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

Result:
The primary reason for clinic visit for 13,399 unduplicated visits was: symptoms 10,699 (80%); request for “checkup” 1781 (13%); contact to an STD 873 (7%); and other 46 (<1%). 9,903 were screened for oral GC; 58 (9%) of contacts tested positive compared with 355 (5%) of patients reporting symptoms and 44 (3%) of those seeking a “checkup”. 4,848 were screened for rectal GC; 51 (15%) of contacts tested positive compared to 278 (8%) of patients reporting symptoms and 24 (3%) of those seeking a “checkup”. 10,515 patients were screened for CT; 22 (3%) of contacts tested positive compared with 635 (8%) of patients reporting symptoms and 38 (2%) of those seeking a “checkup”. Contacts (compared with non-contacts) were more likely to test positive for oral GC (AOR: 1.98, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.48, 2.64) and for rectal GC (AOR: 2.22, 95%CI: 1.61, 3.08), after multivariate adjustment.

Conclusion:
Efforts to promote disclosure of exposure to an STD should be encouraged and may result in early identification and treatment of infected individuals.

Implications:
Counselors and clinicians should encourage patients diagnosed with an STD to inform their partners and interventions that improve partner referral rates should be tested.