Helpful Information to Identify Partners

What to expect when talking with the Partner Services Specialist

When you talk with the Partner Services Specialist, you will be asked for some specific information, like your driver’s license or other identification, your date of birth, home address or where you were tested. This helps the Partner Services Specialist make sure that they are talking to the right person, and not a friend, relative or stranger. This keeps your health information private and assures you that you are speaking with a healthcare professional.

The Partner Services Specialist will ask you several questions. It may seem like a lot, but this information is very helpful. It is important to give the Specialist as much information as you can in order to do their jobs effectively and to help others in the community.

The Partner Services Specialist will ask you several questions. It may seem like a lot, but this information is very helpful. It is important to give the Specialist as much information as you can.

Helpful information to identify partners

In order to contact your partners that need to be notified, information on your partners will be collected. This includes your partners':

  • Name
  • Date of birth
  • Phone number
  • Address
  • E-mail address
  • Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram screen name(s)
  • Dating site app screen name(s)
  • Other website profile name(s)
  • Physical description, e.g., hair color, height or weight, scars, tattoos
  • Other identifying information

The more information that the Specialist has, the faster your partners can be notified. It is important to share as much information as you can about your partners. If you met your partner online, through social media or a dating app, your chats and messages might have contact information that you didn't save to your phone.  This can be very useful to help notify anonymous sex partners.  Specialists will use a physical description and other identifying information to make sure that they are talking to the right person.

Talking with your partners

There are many things to think about before talking to your partners about their exposure to an STI or HIV. Your Partner Services Specialist can help you decide how to talk to your partners.

Your health and safety are very important. If you do not feel comfortable talking with your partners, don't.  If you think your partner might hurt you, it is important not to tell them about an STI/HIV exposure, or at least wait until a later time. The Partner Services Specialists are trained to work with situations like this. They are a great resource for you to use.

Additional Resources