An Evaluation of Syphilis Partner Services Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men With Early Syphilis in King County, WA.

Abstract

Background: Partner services (PS) have been integral to syphilis control in the United States since the early 20th century but have not been evaluated in a controlled study.

Methods: We compared PS outcomes among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) diagnosed with syphilis from May 2020 to June 2021 for whom health department staff initiated PS efforts (PS group) and a randomly selected control group for whom no PS efforts were initiated. We interviewed participants about partner outcomes and used χ2 tests and Poisson regression to test for differences in outcomes between groups.

Results: We attempted to contact 350 GBMSM and offered participation to 184 men, of whom 92 (51%) participated, including 41 men in the PS group and 51 controls. The percentage of participants who reported notifying ≥1 sex partner after diagnosis was similar in the PS and control groups (83% vs. 80%, P = 0.80). Mean number of partners notified or tested did not differ between PS and control groups (notified mean [range], 2.5 [0-10] vs. 3.3 [0-20], P = 0.16; tested mean [range]: 1.2 [0-8] vs. 1 [0-10], P = 0.66); multivariate results were similar. Among those contacted for PS, approximately half (48%) reported PS staff helped them with medical care for syphilis, and 31% said that PS staff connected them to preexposure prophylaxis.

Conclusions: This small, controlled evaluation suggests that syphilis PS may have no impact on partner treatment among GBMSM, although most men support the intervention. A randomized trial is needed to definitively define the contemporary effectiveness of syphilis PS among GBMSM.