Partner notification for HIV infection in the United Kingdom: a look back on seven years experience in Newcastle upon Tyne.

OBJECTIVE To examine the outcome of partner notification for HIV infection. DESIGN Retrospective analysis of medical, health adviser and counsellor records. SETTING Teaching hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne. PATIENTS All newly diagnosed cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and their sexual partners. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Attendance of contact at genitourinary medicine clinics for counselling and testing. Seropositivity rate of people attending as a result of partner notification. RESULTS Of the 80 partners attending as a result of partner notification 79 were tested. Twenty-five of these (31.6%) were seropositive. This was 21.9% of our newly diagnosed caseload. Seventy-five attended following patient referral and five as a result of provider referral. Discrepancies between districts in policies of provider referral prevented two partners being notified. CONCLUSIONS Partner notification is an effective method of ensuring that people with a very high risk of HIV infection have access to counselling and medical care. Complete integration of notification services throughout the UK is required.