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ACOG recommends immediate treatment for STIs in partners of infected patients
Committee opinion no. 506. Obstet Gynecol. 2011;118:761-766.
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The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued a new committee opinion supporting the use of “expedited partner therapy” in accordance with CDC guidelines as a method for the prevention of reinfection of sexually transmitted infections when partners are unable or unwilling to otherwise seek medical care.
“The 12-month reinfection rate of chlamydia among adolescents and young women is as high as 26%, often due to an untreated sexual partner,” according to background information in the committee opinion paper.
Expedited partner therapy (EPT) practice encourages physicians to prescribe treatment for the sexual partners of patients diagnosed with STIs, without examining the partner first.
“Evidence indicates that EPT can decrease reinfection rates compared to standard partner referrals for examination and treatment,” Diane F. Merritt, MD, chair of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG) Committee on Adolescent Health Care, said in a press release. “Of course, it’s preferable that a physician examines a patient in person before prescribing medication, but the benefits of EPT among individuals whose partners are otherwise unlikely to seek care in preventing chlamydia and gonorrhea reinfections outweigh the risks to the partners.”
Merritt said many people with STIs are not aware they are infected and, in turn, pass the infection on to their partners.
“The legality of [EPT] is ambiguous in some states and overt legal impediments exist in others; analysis suggests that the practice is permissible in 27 states,” according to the paper. “Clinicians practicing in states where [EPT] is legal should use it for eligible patients. In states, territories and other jurisdictions where [EPT] is not legal or the legal status of [EPT] is unclear or ambiguous, clinicians are encouraged to advocate for its legality and implementation and work with their health departments to develop protocols for the use of [EPT].”
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