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As of September 1, 2021 State Laws and Policies

Partner Treatment for STIs

Background

In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that health care providers who treat patients for chlamydia and gonorrhea also provide treatment for the patient’s partner, even if the partner has not been seen by the provider. In response to this recommendation, several states have adopted laws and regulations to implement so-called expedited partner therapy (EPT). Most of these state policies follow the CDC guidelines and recommend this course of treatment for gonorrhea and chlamydia infections. In other cases, states allow EPT for the treatment of all STIs or only for specific infections, such as gonorrhea, chlamydia or trichomoniasis. Several of these states encourage or require the health care practitioner to provide information about STIs to the patient to give to their partner.

Visit our state legislation tracker for policy activity on all sexual and reproductive health topics.

Highlights

  • 38 states and the District of Columbia allow health care practitioners to provide at least some STI treatment for the partner of a patient diagnosed with an STI without first examining the partner.
    • 8 states allow treatment for all or most STIs.
    • 30 states and the District of Columbia permit treatment for specific STIs.
      • 30 states and the District of Columbia allow treatment for chlamydia.
      • 28 states and the District of Columbia allow treatment for gonorrhea.
      • 5 states and the District of Columbia permit treatment for trichomoniasis.
  • 15 states and the District of Columbia encourage or require health care practitioners to provide patients with information about STIs to give to their partner.
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For more information

Topic

United States

Geography

 

Expedited Partner  Therapy

STATE

PERMITS TREATMENT OF A PATIENT'S PARTNER FOR:

INFORMATION FOR A PATIENT'S PARTNER

All or Most STIs

Chlamydia

Gonorrhea

Trichomoniasis

Alaska

X

 

 

 

 

Arizona

X

 

 

 

 

Arkansas*

 

X

X

 

 

California

X

 

 

 

 

Colorado

X

 

 

 

 

Connecticut

 

X

X

 

 

Delaware†,‡​

 

X

X

 

Required 

District of Columbia

 

X

X

X

Required

Georgia

 

X

X

 

 

Hawaii

 

X

X

 

 

Idaho‡​

 

X

X

 

 

Illinois†​

 

X

X

 

Required

Indiana

 

X

X

 

Required

Iowa

 

X

X

 

 

Kentucky

 

X

X

 

 

Louisiana

 

X

X

 

Required

Maine†​

X

 

 

 

Required

Maryland

 

X

X

X 

 

Massachusetts

 

X

 

 

Encouraged

Michigan *,†​

 

X

X

 

 

Minnesota‡​

 

X

X

 

 

Missouri

 

X

X

 

 

Nebraska

 

X

X

X 

Required

Nevada‡​

 

X

X

 

 

New Hampshire

X

 

 

 

 

New Jersey*

 

X

X

 

 

New Mexico† 

 

X

X

X

Encouraged

New York

 

X

X 

 

Required

North Carolina‡​

 

X

X

 

 

North Dakota

X

 

 

 

 

Ohio

 

X

X

X

Required

Oregon†

 

X

X

 

Encouraged

Rhode Island

 

X

X

 

 

Tennessee†​

 

X

 

 

Required

Texas

X

 

 

 

 

Utah

 

X

X

 

 

Vermont

 

XΨ​

 X 

 

Required

Washington

 

X

X

 

Required 

West VirginaΩ,†​

 

 

 

 

 

Wisconsin

 

X

X

X

Required

TOTAL

8

30+DC

28+DC

5+DC

15+DC

*  State policy is limited to different-sex partners.
† Allows treatment of a partner exposed to the infection in the 60 days before the patient was diagnosed.
‡  Requires providers to follow CDC guidelines, which recommend expedited partner treatment for different-sex partners of a patient with chlamydia or gonorrhea.
Ψ The state is developing regulations to expand partner therapy to additional conditions.
Ω The state is developing guidelines on conditions eligible for therapy.