Knowledge, Attitudes, and Experiences of New England Men Who Have Sex with Men with Partner Notification, Counseling and Referral Services After STD and HIV Exposures and Infections

Background:
Partner notification (PN) is a key component of both primary and secondary HIV prevention programs. The steady increase in STD infection among MSM and the associated increased risk of HIV transmission necessitate research on new methods of prevention.

Objective:
We qualitatively assessed knowledge, attitudes, barriers and preferred method of PN/partner counseling and referral services (PCRS) among MSM in Massachusetts.

Method:
The study used a convenience sample of STD clinic patients (n = 48) and a modified respondent-driven sampling method (n = 70) to reach a diverse sample of MSM in Massachusetts. All participants completed a one-on-one, open-ended qualitative interview/quantitative survey between March 2006-May 2007.

Result:
Age ranged from 20 to 66 (mean = 41.67, SD = 8.24). The sample was 47% non-white and 65% HIV-infected. The majority of participants (65%) had not previously heard of PN. Overall, white, HIV-infected MSM had the highest level of knowledge about PN activities. MSM who were unfamiliar with PN were disproportionately non-white and HIV-uninfected. All participants were more likely to notify past partners of HIV exposure as compared to STD exposure. The preferred method of PN for the majority of MSM was person-to-person notification. Notably, non-white participants endorsed department of health PN services more than white MSM; white MSM preferred involvement of primary care providers.

Conclusion:
Knowledge/attitudes/intentions varied widely across subgroups, and several key factors that impact use of PN services were revealed.

Implications:
Traditional PN efforts have yielded success with respect to curbing continued disease transmission, and linking asymptomatic cases to evaluation and treatment. For continued success, evaluation of PN programs should be conducted and documented with various at risk groups. Tailored nontraditional methods, such as Internet PN, might need to be employed with populations who engage in sexual behavior with anonymous or otherwise non-notifiable sexual partners.