A centralised contact tracing system for sexually transmitted infections (STI), suitably adapted from that used for Covid-19, could improve outcomes for STIs, including chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis, suggests a study.

According to Public Health registrar Dr Catriona Murray from University of Otago in New Zealand, many patients prefer to tell contacts themselves and need to be helped to do this with good information and support.

But, Murray said, studies indicate that STI contact tracing, also called partner notification, is often incomplete and that the process is under-resourced.

In the paper, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, she said a centralised system would enable a more consistent and comprehensive approach to partner notification for STIs and alleviate some of the burden on already stretched clinicians.