Factors associated with partner referral among patients with sexually transmitted infections in Bangladesh

Abstract

Understanding the demographic, behavioural and psychosocial factors associated with partner referral for patients with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is important for designing appropriate intervention strategies. A survey was conducted among STI clients in three government and three non-governmental organization-operated clinics in Dhaka and Chittagong city in Bangladesh. Demographic and psychosocial information was collected using a questionnaire guided by the Attitude-Social Influence-Self Efficacy model. Partner referral data were collected by verification of referral cards when partners appeared at the clinics within one month of interviewing the STI clients. Of the 1339 clients interviewed, 81% accepted partner referral cards but only 32% actually referred their partners; 37% of these referrals were done by clients randomly assigned to a single counselling session vs. 27% by clients not assigned to a counselling session (p < 0.0001). Among psychosocial factors, partner referral intention was best predicted by attitudes and perceived social norms of the STI clients. Actual partner referral was significantly associated with intention to refer partner and attitudes of the index clients. Married clients were significantly more likely to refer their partners, and clients with low income were less likely to refer partners. Intervention programmes must address psychosocial and socio-economic issues to improve partner referral for STIs in Bangladesh.

High Willingness to Participate in Partner Notification among Women Attending Reproductive Health and STI Clinics in Shenzhen, China: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…In our study, married participants were more willing to notify their partner than those with other marital status, which was consistent with the results of two other studies [27,28]. It is suggested that interdependency may be a motivation for married individuals to have a higher concern for their spouse's health [27], which leads to higher willingness to participate in PN. Our study also found that participants who had lived in Shenzhen longer and who had higher education were more willing to notify their partner about CT infections.…”

Understanding the Low Level of Cervical Cancer Screening in Masaka Uganda Using the ASE Model: A Community-Based Survey

“…Our study was based on the ASE model to explore factors associated with intention to screen for cervical cancer. The ASE model has previously been used for studies on uptake of voluntary counselling and testing for HIV [ 18 ] and partner referral to screen for sexually transmitted infections [ 32 ]. Inconsistent with the ASE model utilized in this study, some of the demographic characteristics of the respondents were associated with intention to screen for cervical cancer.…”

“Manejar la Situacion”: Partner Notification, Partner Management, and Conceptual Frameworks for HIV/STI Control Among MSM in Peru

“…In terms of individual behavior, issues of self-efficacy and empowerment have been shown to influence notification behaviors (15–18). Within dyadic partnerships, factors influencing PN include partnership type (primary/stable versus secondary/casual partner) and interpersonal dynamics (communication styles and relations of power within the partnership) (19–23).…”