Expedited Partner Therapy
Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT) is the clinical practice of treating the sex partners of patients diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhea by providing prescriptions or medications to the patient to take to his/her partner without the health care provider first examining the partner.
Review and Guidance
Guidance on the Use of Expedited Partner Therapy in the Treatment of Gonorrhea (November 19, 2012)
Expedited Partner Therapy in the Management of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (February 2, 2006)
Dear Colleague Letter from John M. Douglas, Jr., MD., Director, Division of STD Prevention (May 12, 2005)
Recently Added
Guidance on the Use of Expedited Partner Therapy in the Treatment of Gonorrhea (November 19, 2012)
Update to CDC's 2010 Sexually Transmitted Disease Treatment Guidelines: Oral Cephalosporins No Longer Recommended Treatment for Gonococcal Infections – MMWR August 10, 2012 (August 9, 2012)
EPT Workshop - Strategies to Address Common Barriers to Implementation - at 2012 STD Conference, (March 12, 2012)
Legal Status
Legal Status of EPT by Jurisdiction (as of August 8, 2012)
Dear Colleague Letter from John M. Douglas, Jr., MD., Director, Division of STD Prevention on the legal status of EPT (December 19, 2006)
EPT Resources from States
- Illinois Department of Health EPT Resources (January 28, 2010)
- Texas Department of State Health Services EPT Resources (August 1, 2008)
- Guidelines for Expedited Partner Therapy - from New Mexico Department of Health (April 2, 2008)
- Background and Recommendations for Incorporating Patient Delivered Partner Therapy (PDPT) by Health Care Providers - from Washington State Department of Health (February 20, 2008)
- Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT) for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Infections - from Washington State Department of Health (February 20, 2008)
- Patient-Delivered Partner Therapy for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Interim Guidance for Medical Providers in California - California Department of Health Services STD Control Branch, June 2011
Other Resources
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Opinion on EPT to Prevent STI Reinfection (August 24, 2011)
- Legal/Policy Toolkit for Adoption and Implementation of Expedited Partner Therapy (January 31, 2011)
- A Position Paper of the Society for Adolescent Medicine. (January 28, 2010)
- Expedited Partner Therapy Toolkit - Region 8 Infertility Prevention Project. (December 10, 2008)
- American Bar Association resolution supporting removal of legal barriers to the provision of EPT. (August 15, 2008)
- Battling a Silent Enemy (see pages 28-31) - An article on expedited partner therapy in the March edition of State News, a publication of CDC partner, The Council of State Governments. (March 22, 2007)
- American Medical Association Update on Expedited Partner Therapy (Patient-delivered Partner Therapy), June 2006
Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd
Atlanta, GA 30333 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348 - Contact CDC-INFO