Healthcare providers who diagnose a person with HIV should ensure that they discuss the need for partner notification with that person.  If a person is diagnosed with HIV, then they have acquired their infection from another person, and possibly transmitted it to subsequent partners.  Consideration of transmission risk in people who have HIV infection should include those who may have acquired the infection through condomless sexual contact or sharing injecting equipment. 

Partner notification is considered a cornerstone strategy in the public health management of HIV, and is undertaken for the following reasons: (3)  

1. By contacting a partner who is asymptomatic but has undiagnosed HIV infection, you can encourage that person to consider HIV PEP if time permits or have an HIV test when they otherwise would not do so.
2. Notifying partners with undiagnosed HIV infection will help them avoid potentially serious sequelae, because diagnosis and treatment will prevent HIV-related complications which can be serious and costly. 
3. There is clear evidence that the earlier a person is diagnosed with HIV and commenced on treatment, the better their prognosis. 
4. Notifying and arranging testing and treatment for partners exposed to HIV means that, if they are infected, they will substantially reduce the risk of inadvertently transmitting HIV to subsequent partners. 
5. Contacting partners provides the healthcare provider an opportunity to deliver HIV testing, personalised education, and support to that partner; this will include prevention strategies aimed at reducing exposure to themselves (if they test HIV negative) and others (if they test positive) in the future. 
6. Partner notification can also provide valuable data that inform policymakers and educators about an outbreak of an infection and will assist them to plan effective preventive and management campaigns and strategies.