Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
Sex Transm Infect. 2021 Jun;97(4):256-260. doi: 10.1136/sextrans-2020-054820. Epub 2021 Jan 13.
Patient-delivered partner therapy (PDPT) is a method for providing antibiotic treatment for the sexual partners of an index patient with an STI by means of a prescription or medication that the index patient gives to their sexual partner(s). Qualitative research regarding barriers and enablers to PDPT has largely focused on the views of healthcare providers. In this study, we sought to investigate the views of young people (as potential health consumers) regarding PDPT for chlamydia.
Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with young Australian men and women. Participants were asked to provide their views regarding PDPT from the perspective of both an index patient and partner. Purposive and snowball sampling was used. Data were analysed thematically.
We interviewed 22 people (13 women, 9 men) aged 18-30 years, 15 of whom had previously been tested for chlamydia. Despite none having previous knowledge of or experience using PDPT, all viewed it positively and thought it should be widely available. Participants reported that they would be willing to give PDPT to their sexual partners in situations where trust and comfort had been established, regardless of the relationship type. Protecting their partners' privacy was essential, with participants expressing reluctance to provide their partners' contact details to a doctor without consent. Beyond logistical benefits, PDPT was viewed as a facilitator to partner notification conversations by offering partners a potential solution. However, most interviewees indicated a preference to consult with a healthcare provider (GP or pharmacist) before taking PDPT medication. Participants indicated that legitimacy of information when navigating a chlamydia diagnosis was crucial and was preferably offered by healthcare providers.
Though PDPT is unlikely to fully replace partners' interactions with healthcare providers, it may facilitate partner notification conversations and provide partners greater choice on how, when and where they are treated.
患者递药伴侣治疗（PDPT）是一种通过索引患者给予其性伴侣处方或药物来为性伴侣提供性传播感染（STI）抗生素治疗的方法。关于 PDPT 的障碍和促进因素的定性研究主要集中在医疗保健提供者的观点上。在这项研究中，我们试图调查年轻人（作为潜在的卫生保健消费者）对衣原体 PDPT 的看法。
对澳大利亚的年轻男性和女性进行了半结构化电话访谈。要求参与者从索引患者和伴侣的角度提供他们对 PDPT 的看法。采用了目的抽样和滚雪球抽样。对数据进行了主题分析。
我们采访了 22 名年龄在 18-30 岁的年轻人（13 名女性，9 名男性），其中 15 名曾接受过衣原体检测。尽管他们之前都不知道或没有使用过 PDPT，但所有人都对其持积极态度，并认为它应该广泛使用。参与者报告说，只要建立了信任和舒适感，他们愿意将 PDPT 给他们的性伴侣，无论关系类型如何。保护他们伴侣的隐私至关重要，参与者表示，未经同意，他们不愿意向医生提供其伴侣的联系信息。除了后勤方面的好处外，PDPT 还被视为促进伴侣通知对话的一种手段，为伴侣提供了一种潜在的解决方案。然而，大多数受访者表示，在服用 PDPT 药物之前，他们更倾向于咨询医疗保健提供者（全科医生或药剂师）。参与者表示，在诊断衣原体感染时，获取信息的合法性至关重要，最好由医疗保健提供者提供。
尽管 PDPT 不太可能完全取代伴侣与医疗保健提供者的互动，但它可能促进伴侣通知对话，并为伴侣提供更大的选择，包括如何、何时以及何地接受治疗。
