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. 2013 Oct 3;2013(10):CD002843. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD002843.pub2

Summary of findings 4. Contract referral compared with expedited partner therapy for partner notification for STIs, including HIV.

Contract referral compared with expedited partner therapy for partner notification for STIs, including HIV
Health problem: partner notification for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV
 Settings: people in rural and urban areas, given a diagnosis of STI (clinically or by a laboratory) in health services
 Intervention: contract referral
 Comparison: expedited partner therapy
Outcomes Illustrative comparative risks* (95% CI) Relative effect
 (95% CI) No of Participants
 (studies) Quality of the evidence
 (GRADE) Comments
Assumed risk Corresponding risk
EPT Contract referral
Re‐infection in index patient 
 Follow‐up: 3 months Study population RR 2 
 (0.7 to 5.72) 322
 (1 study) ⊕⊕⊝⊝
 low1,2  
99 per 1000 198 per 1000 
 (69 to 565)
Moderate
99 per 1000 198 per 1000 
 (69 to 566)
The corresponding risk (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI).
 CI: confidence interval; RR: risk ratio.
GRADE Working Group grades of evidence
 High quality: Further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect.
 Moderate quality: Further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate.
 Low quality: Further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate.
 Very low quality: We are very uncertain about the estimate.

1 Method of sequence generation and allocation concealment not reported. The study had high attrition rate. No blinding.
 2 Imprecision owing to small sample size.