Expedited partner therapy provision for chlamydia at U.S. college health centers, 2023

BACKGROUND: Expedited partner therapy (EPT) is a critical strategy to treat and reduce the transmission of chlamydia. U.S. college health centers (CHCs) serve students nationwide and are uniquely positioned to reach a major segment of young adults, a group at disproportionate risk for sexually transmitted infections. This study examined the provision of EPT at CHCs and if institutional characteristics are associated with EPT provision. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2023 American College Health Association Sexual Health Services Survey (N=115 CHCs). We conducted descriptive analyses for EPT provision and investigated associations with institutional characteristics, including locale, enrollment number, geographic region, public/private, Carnegie classification, Minority Serving Institution status, and CHC chlamydia positivity rate. We also used conventional qualitative content analysis to identify themes from an open-ended question about challenges CHCs face with EPT provision. RESULTS: Almost 70% of CHCs offered EPT in some capacity. EPT provision differed significantly by institutional type (private versus public) and chlamydia positivity rate. No other institutional characteristics were significant. Six qualitative themes were found regarding challenges to provision. Providing EPT for non-students and healthcare providers being required or preferring to interact with partners directly were most commonly endorsed. CONCLUSIONS: Although most responding CHCs offered EPT to some degree, EPT remains underutilized, with few differences based on institutional characteristics. Addressing the identified challenges could improve EPT uptake, benefiting young adults' sexual health outcomes.