Public Health Launches Digital Partner Services to Help Stop Spread of STIs

Public Health Madison & Dane County is launching a new initiative designed to stop the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) more efficiently. Digital Partner Services uses dating apps to connect and notify people who may have been exposed to an STI, making it easier than ever to reach more people and help them take steps to keep themselves and others healthy.

“This modern approach will supplement our traditional in-person and phone-based partner services to help us reach more people, some who might not otherwise have been notified. The more widespread our notification efforts, the more testing and treatment can happen and that means less STI transmission in our community,” said Naomi Clear, Partner Services Coordinator at Public Health.

Here’s how the process works:

• Trained Public Health staff work directly with clients to reach their partners via dating apps while protecting privacy and confidentiality throughout the process.
• Messages are sent anonymously, ensuring that no personal information about who exposed them is shared.
• Staff search for usernames or IDs on apps, only contacting partners after confirming they have found the right person.
• Messaging is limited to arranging a phone call, at which point specific health information can be shared securely.

STIs are very common. In Dane County, hundreds of people per month are diagnosed with an STI, mostly chlamydia and gonorrhea. While Dane County’s overall STI rate has decreased over the past 5 years, our rates of HIV and syphilis, especially congenital syphilis when a baby is born with syphilis, have remained higher than national goals.

“Most STIs are curable and all are treatable. Roughly 1 in 2 sexually active people get an STI before age 25, and most do not have symptoms. So, as the dating landscape evolves, with more people meeting partners online, so does our strategy. Using digital partner services will help people get the information they need to be healthy,” said Clear.

Digital partner services is an evidence-based intervention, recommended by the CDC and National Coalition of STD Directors.

Public Health provides free, confidential, and inclusive sexual health services to everyone in our community. We test and treat STIs, provide pregnancy testing and counseling, offer a wide range of birth control methods, and more. You can book an appointment online or call our confidential phone line at 608-243-0411.