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Partner Services (including Aphirm)
The mission of the HIV/STI Partner Services program is to help reduce the spread of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among sex and needle-sharing partners of people diagnosed as having HIV and/or STIs, such as syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Through Partner Services, people with HIV and/or diagnosed with a STIs are counseled about their disease state by their provider or certified Partner Services staff, and given risk reduction information, treatment and/or referral to other care services as appropriate. People with HIV and/or diagnosed with a STI are counseled on the importance of notifying their sex and needle-sharing partners and told that assistance is available to help them do that, if needed.
Partner Services depends upon the voluntary cooperation of people with HIV and/or diagnosed with a STI to work with certified staff or other medical providers to share information about their partners so that those individuals may be confidentially notified of their potential exposure and provided risk-reduction counseling and referrals to treatment and other support services.
The Partner Services Patient Guide, a brochure written for patients/clients, explains the HIV/STI Partner Services program.
Forms and Instructions
- DCH-1221: Confidential Request Form for Local Health Department Assistance with Partner Services (rev. July 2015)
(Health care providers can use this form to refer people diagnosed as having HIV/AIDS or an at-risk sex/needle-sharing and/or cluster/network partner to a local health department for assistance with HIV Prevention Partner Services.) - DCH-1225: Client Authorization for Counselor Assisted Referral (rev. October 2024)
(Partner Services staff can use this form to refer people diagnosed as having HIV/AIDS to an Early Intervention Specialist (EIS), HIV/AIDS Case Manager, infectious disease provider or other HIV-related referral services.)
Guidance for Conducting Partner Services
- Recommendations for Partner Services Programs for HIV Infection, Syphilis, Gonorrhea, and Chlamydial Infection (CDC)
- Telephone Interview Protocol for HIV Partner Services
- Michigan Internet Partner Services Guidance
Aphirm
Aphirm is a cloud-based data system created by Luther Consulting to capture data from HIV testing and Partner Services outcomes. Aphirm is funded by CDC funding opportunity announcement PS18-1802. Local public health workers tasked with conducting Partner Services use this system to document client follow-up and log client responses to questions about medical care and risk behaviors. Aphirm data is de-identified prior to being uploaded to CDC through Evaluation Web for reporting purposes.
New Aphirm Users: Aphirm requires authorization prior to accessing the system. Please first submit a system authorization request within SHOARS. For information about SHOARS including how to register and submit a system authorization request, please visit Michigan.gov/SHOARS. If there are any questions or concerns regarding this process, reach out to MDHHS-SHOARS-SUPPORT@michigan.gov.