Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39930410›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

A qualitative exploration of sexually transmitted infection (STI) partner notification preferences and practices among women planning for pregnancy and offered HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in Durban, South Africa.

Pooja Chitneni, Yolandie Kriel, Mxolisi Mathenjwa, Ivana Beesham, Bongeka Qiya, Patricia M Smith, Shannon Bosman, Manjeetha Jaggernath, Jennifer A Smit, Lynn T Matthews

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Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Pooja ChitneniBrigham and Women's Hospital, Division of General Internal Medicine and Global Health Equity, BWH Hospitalist Service - PBB-B4-428, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. pchitneni@mgh.harvard.edu.
Yolandie KrielWits MRU (MatCH Research Unit), Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Durban, South Africa.
Mxolisi MathenjwaCentre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Durban, South Africa.
Ivana BeeshamWits MRU (MatCH Research Unit), Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Durban, South Africa.
Bongeka QiyaWits MRU (MatCH Research Unit), Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Durban, South Africa.
Patricia M SmithHeersink School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Shannon BosmanCentre for Community Based Research, Human Sciences Research Council, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
Manjeetha JaggernathWits MRU (MatCH Research Unit), Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Durban, South Africa.
Jennifer A SmitWits MRU (MatCH Research Unit), Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Durban, South Africa.
Lynn T MatthewsHeersink School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.

Funding

PrEP Uptake/Adherence to Reduce Periconception HIV Risk for South African WomenR01MH108412 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · PI MATTHEWS, LYNN T · 2016 to 2020
$3.3M
Development and assessment of an HIV disclosure intervention for men in UgandaK23MH126771 · NIMH · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · PI Pooja Rao Chitneni · 2022 to 2026
$964k
Mentoring in patient-oriented research on HIV prevention in the U.S. and Global SouthK24AI184259 · NIAID · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI Lynn T Matthews · 2025 to 2026
$361k
NIAID NIH HHS K24 AI184259NIMH NIH HHS K23 MH126771NIMH NIH HHS K23MH12677101A1NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH108412NIMH NIH HHS R01MH108412
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSexually transmitted infection (STI) partner notification is key to fostering STI cure and preventing onward STI transmission; this is critical among people planning for pregnancy given the high STI morbidity and mortality among neonates. This qualitative study explores how women planning for pregnancy and considering HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis approach STI partner notification in Durban, South Africa to inform future interventions.

methodsWe conducted a cohort study evaluating pre-exposure prophylaxis use as a part of safer conception care among adult women (≥ 18 years) without HIV, partnered with a man living with HIV or unknown HIV-serostatus, and planning for pregnancy. As part of an STI-focused sub-study, 25 women who completed etiologic STI screening also completed qualitative interviews exploring participant STI partner notification practices, preferences, and interaction with pregnancy. We used an inductive and deductive approach to generate a codebook, organized our findings according to the Disclosure Processes Model, and identified preliminary themes using content analysis.

resultsThe median age of sub-study participants was 25 (range 19-33) years, five (20%) were diagnosed with an STI during the study, and 2 (8%) became pregnant during the study. Preliminary themes included 1) Participants' perceptions of their own and their partner's additional partnerships affected STI partner notification perceptions and practices; 2) Participants' asymptomatic presentation and etiologic, laboratory diagnosis supported partner notification; 3) Participants reported male reluctance to engage with healthcare services and a reliance on female participant testing and subsequent partner notification; 4) Participants endorsed provider-assisted STI partner notification; 5) STI diagnoses and partner notification led participants to mistrust their partners and subsequently impacted their condom use during pregnancy planning.

conclusionsWe found a lack of partner concurrency and asymptomatic infection to influence STI partner notification with partner notification affecting pregnancy planning and condom use. Since women report having high STI testing and care engagement, they bear a high burden of partner notification and potential subsequent blame and often appreciated provider assistance. Interventions are needed to engage men in STI testing and care and to mitigate the potential harms of STI partner notification.

Indexed as

Contact TracingHIV InfectionsPre-Exposure ProphylaxisSexually Transmitted DiseasesAdultCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMalePregnancyQualitative ResearchSexual PartnersSouth AfricaYoung AdultPartner notificationQualitativeSexually transmitted infectionSouth AfricaSTISub-Saharan Africa

Identifiers

PMID39930410
PMCPMC11812228

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.