A confidential public-health process that helps people who may have been exposed to an infection obtain appropriate testing, treatment and prevention advice.
Sources and evidence type
Manual claim and limitation notes are shown where an individual source audit is complete. Other evidence-type labels are a publisher aid awaiting source-by-source confirmation.
NHS: visiting a sexual health clinicClinical guideline
Source design
Current public-health or clinical guidance
What it can support
Service pathways, health definitions and recommended public-health or clinical actions within its stated scope.
Important limitation
General guidance cannot assess an individual’s symptoms, exposure, medicine, contraindications or urgency.
Illustration created using generative AI; not documentary evidence.
In brief
Confidentially connecting potentially exposed partners with care.
After some diagnoses, a clinic helps identify which current or former partners may need contact and over what period. The diagnosed person may notify them, or the service may be able to make confidential contact without naming the source. Notification communicates possible exposure, not blame, certainty or proof of infidelity.
Why it is offered
Many STIs can have no symptoms. Prompt partner testing and treatment can protect health, reduce onward transmission and sometimes prevent reinfection.
The relevant partners and look-back period differ by infection and clinical history. Staff apply current guidance rather than contacting everyone automatically.
Status
Detailed editorial draft
Publisher
The UK Kink Guide
Reviewed
Structured draft present; individual review date not recorded
Evidence
3 cited sources · types labelled below
Jurisdiction
UK-focused general education
Read the rest: evidence, law, safety and sources
Patient referral
The diagnosed person tells relevant partners, often with wording or support from the clinic.
Provider referral
The service contacts partners confidentially without disclosing the diagnosed person's identity.
Testing
Determines whether an infection is detected at the appropriate time; notification itself is not a diagnosis.
Disclosure
Sharing one's own health information, a broader personal and sometimes legal question distinct from clinic notification.
How it works
A health adviser discusses contact options and what information is needed. Services may use telephone, text or other local systems.
When a clinic notifies anonymously, it does not reveal the source's name or unnecessary details. Exact procedures and limits vary by service.
Communication and safety
A simple message should say that testing or clinical advice is recommended without diagnosing the recipient. Clinics can provide accurate wording and answer questions.
Where contact could risk violence, coercion, outing or harassment, tell the clinic before attempting it. Safety planning and provider referral may be more appropriate.
Avoiding assumptions
Some infections persist silently or are detected long after acquisition. A result often cannot establish when transmission occurred or by whom.
Partner notification is healthcare rather than punishment. Respectful language supports attendance and reduces stigma.
Non-graphic examples
What the umbrella may include
Asking a clinic to contact a former partner anonymously.
Using clinic wording for a personal message.
Arranging testing after receiving a notification.
Discussing safety before contacting an abusive ex-partner.
Avoiding assumptions about when an infection was acquired.
Prepare for an appointment
Questions you could ask a professional
What possible causes should be considered?
Could medicines, treatment, pain, hormones or another condition contribute?
Which symptoms or changes would need urgent review?
What options fit my priorities, access needs and health history?
These prompts do not replace assessment and do not imply that every reader needs professional care.
Continue learning
Take the next step from definition to context.
Continue with independent guidance connecting partner notification to evidence, consent, safety, uncertainty and practical decisions.
The UK Kink GuideEvidence-led glossary