{
  "abstract": "Objectives Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are common in pregnant women. Effective partner treatment of women with an STI is essential to prevent reinfection. We evaluated the impact of partner notification and treatment based on the occurrence of repeat STIs in pregnant women in South Africa.Methods We used data from one of the intervention arms in a randomised clinical trial of STI diagnostic screening strategies in pregnancy. In this cohort, women were tested at their first antenatal care visit (<27 weeks gestational age) using onsite Xpert test assays (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, California, USA) for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Trichomonas vaginalis. Women with a positive STI result received pathogen-directed treatment, partner notification slips, and a test-of-cure visit was scheduled 21–35 days post-treatment. At the test of cure visit, sexual behaviour and partner treatment data were collected, and STI testing was repeated. Cure was defined as a negative result at the test-of-cure visit.Results Of 754 women tested, 193 (26%) tested positive for an STI and 183 (95%) received pathogen-directed treatment. A test-of-cure visit was attended by 108/183 (59%) women within the time window. Of those, 19/108 (18%) had a positive repeat STI result. Most women attending the test-of-cure visit (95%; 103/108) reported disclosure of their STI to their partner; however, only 44% (48/108) reported that their partner received treatment. Among those who reported partner treatment, the repeat STI positivity was 4% versus 27% in those with reported untreated partners (risk ratio 0.15 with 95% CI 0.03 to 0.7).Conclusions Reported partner treatment reduced the likelihood of a repeat positive test result in pregnant women. Strengthening partner notification and treatment is essential to prevent reinfection.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Research Unit, Foundation for Professional Development, East London, South Africa",
        "Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield Campus, Pretoria, GP, South Africa"
      ],
      "name": "Mildred Mandisa Mdingi"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Research Unit, Foundation for Professional Development, East London, South Africa",
        "Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland"
      ],
      "name": "Ranjana M S Gigi"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Chibuzor M Babalola"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Christopher Taylor"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Medicine/ID, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Christina A Muzny"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University of Pennsylvania Department of Psychiatry, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA",
        "Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, Cape Town, WC, South Africa"
      ],
      "name": "Andrew Medina Marino"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Jeffrey D Klausner"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Research Unit, Foundation for Professional Development, East London, South Africa",
        "Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield Campus, Pretoria, GP, South Africa"
      ],
      "name": "Remco P H Peters"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Association between partner treatment and repeat sexually transmitted infections positivity in pregnant women in East London, South Africa",
  "uid": "f5a81c9b-cfc4-59d1-bac3-fd3d468aad68"
}