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July 13, 2010
Dear Colleague,
In 2005, the Division of STD Prevention and the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention jointly sent a Dear Colleague letter addressing the Internet as an emerging risk venue and encouraging the integration of the Internet into STD and HIV prevention efforts. This letter is to again encourage public health programs to adopt and incorporate using the Internet and other emerging technologies into STD and HIV prevention efforts and to call your attention to available resources. CDC resources can and should be used to support internet based partner services as part of comprehensive STD prevention programs.
The CDC strongly supports the use of the internet for partner services and will be actively tracking the uptake, delivery and quality of internet partner services efforts. In support of this effort, the CDC has collaborated with the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) to develop and distribute a set of national guidelines for conducting Internet-based STD and HIV prevention. These guidelines contain three sections: 1) online partner notification, 2) online outreach, and 3) online health communications. The guidelines can assist jurisdictions in developing and/or enhancing their Internet-based activities. All three sections of National Guidelines for Internet-based STD and HIV Prevention are available on the NCSD website (www.ncsddc.org).
In addition, examples of jurisdiction-specific guidelines for Internet-based work and other valuable STD prevention resources can be found on STD Prevention Online, the STD prevention professional networking site. (www.STDPreventionOnline.org) Programs are strongly encouraged to use these two resources to develop protocols for internet-based partner services.
Specifically, programs should seek to ensure access to sites where sex seeking occurs, which includes traditional sex-seeking sites such as Manhunt and Adam4Adam but also include social networking sites such as MySpace, Craigslist and Facebook. To gain access, programs should be proactive in working with local IT departments and educating decision makers about the importance of partner services and how programs can efficiently address disease transmission and acquisition utilizing today’s technology.
I encourage you to explore and use the Internet and other novel technologies for your STD prevention efforts. The Internet can no longer be considered an emerging venue; it is now just another venue through which risky behaviors can and are being facilitated. At the same time, it is a venue that STD and HIV prevention programs need to understand and use to meet the public where they are in order to provide education and help stem the spread of disease.
For questions about any of our new technology efforts, please contact Rachel Kachur (RKachur@cdc.gov).
Sincerely,
/Cathleen M. Walsh/
Cathleen M. Walsh, Dr.PH
Director (Acting), Division of STD Prevention
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention

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