Partner Notification Attempts to Bring the Spread of HIV and AIDS to a Standstill

HIV and AIDS, the terror disease that first struck fear and panic in the hearts of people worldwide in 1981, continue to wreck havoc in millions of people’s lives worldwide.  According to 2006 statistical report from the UNAIDS and the WHO, there is an estimated average of 39.5 million people worldwide who are living with the disease.

Partner Notification in HIV Control

Contact tracing or partner notification has been used since 1985 to track HIV infected people and those that they may have subsequently contaminated in order to administer screening and antiretroviral therapy and to stop the spread of the infection.

Tracking down HIV and AIDS was once such a daunting task given that there were hardly any incentives for the people who were turning themselves in prior to the discovery of antiretroviral drugs. Partner notification relied heavily on volunteered information.  It was also particularly difficult for infected people to subject themselves voluntarily and put their anonymity at risk to the harsh prejudices at that time. Today, the task is easier owing to the fact that many people volunteer themselves in the hope of availing treatment options.

The Case of N.J. Williams

The story of Nushawn J. Williams was a highly publicized case of partner notification in the fight against HIV and AIDS.  Williams, a native of Brooklyn, initially learned that he was infected with HIV in 1996 when his name was dropped in a health department clinic in Cautauqua County, NY by a woman who was infected with chlamydia whom he had sexual relations.

He agreed to be screened for HIV and cooperated with health workers by naming his sexual conquests. He dropped 21 names of women whom health workers started tracing.  Out of the list, they were able to identify 3 new cases of HIV infection.
Eventually other HIV infected women not in the list who had sexual encounters with Williams voluntarily turned themselves in for assistance. Health officials realized a need to take a more aggressive course of action.  Upon securing court approval, they launched a campaign to warn the public of Mr. Williams.

Subsequently, a few more women came forward.  Most recent records of the case show 28 women who have admitted to having sexual contact with Mr. Williams.  Ten of these women contracted HIV and they in turn had subsequent sexual relations with 53 more people.
The case of Williams was set in an ideal scenario, a rural area where HIV and AIDS tracing is manageable.

This is not so in large urbanized areas such as New York City.  Other cases also prove impractical such as when the source has had sexual contact with an overwhelming number of persons. In these cases, health officials resort to HIV screening of the entire community.
Until vaccine as well as complete and definite cure to HIV and AIDS is discovered, medical experts will have to contend with the rigors of partner notification.  GP