Jessica is a 17-year-old with Chlamydia. She is sitting in a consultation room with a local health care provider.
Jessica has taken her treatment and asked lots of questions about how she could have chlamydia when she has no symptoms.
The health care provider has brought up the idea of ways to inform her sexual partners. Jessica is reluctant to tell her boyfriend of two months.
Jessica
Transcript
Jessica: “So you’re telling me I have to tell my boyfriend?”
HCP: “It’s really important your boyfriend gets testing and treatment too. “Jessica: “I don’t want to tell him, he’ll think I have given him something.”
HCP: “We are never really able to tell who had the infection first. Chlamydia often has no symptoms and people can have it without even knowing.”
Jessica: “I just don’t think I could tell him.”
HCP: “If you really don’t want to tell him yourself, we can contact him to let him know he has come into contact with chlamydia and needs a test and treatment. We don’t say anything about you.”
Jessica: “I don’t know, I don’t even want you to do that.”
HCP: “If he does have chlamydia and doesn’t get treated, you can get reinfected and it could cause long-term problems. If you have only been together two months, he may have had other sexual contacts who could have given him chlamydia before that, so he might not think it was you.
Jessica: “hmmm”
HCP: “I should be honest, Jessica – as he is your boyfriend, he may still discuss it with you or think it’s you that’s the contact. And, if he tests positive, he will also be asked to contact you to advise you to get tested, or he’ll give us a list of his sexual contacts for us to get in touch with and offer treatment. So, it’s your choice, but sometimes being honest with a partner helps build trust in a relationship. And ultimately, you’ll be doing what’s best for his and your health.”
Jessica: “Well, ok. If you don’t say anything about me, I’ll give you his name.”
HCP: “Oh that’s great, thanks, Jessica. Don’t worry, it can all stay confidential. If you give me his name and phone number, I will just call him and let him know to go to the clinic to be tested. And, as I said, your name won’t be mentioned.”
Case Studies courtesy of WA Partner Notification eLearning module
Page last updated October 2022