ABSTRACT
Tracing the sexual contacts of an infected person is an essential element in controlling the spread of STIs through a population. Unlike most conditions, where, once definitively treated the job is done, when you have treated someone for an STI, you are only part way through the management process. Your patient caught the infection from someone and may have passed it on to others. It is your duty to make an attempt to get these people tested and, if necessary, treated. Since many STIs cause symptoms in only a small proportion of infected people, you can not rely on these partners developing symptoms and getting themselves checked up.
