Receiving a positive diagnosis for a sexually transmitted infection (STI) can raise many questions. One of the most common is how to tell someone if I have an STI, especially when starting this conversation can feel difficult.
Informing people who may have been exposed is important so that they can get the necessary tests and, where appropriate, receive healthcare. In addition, early diagnosis and notification help to break chains of transmission.
To make this process easier, ITSready includes Notifica, a digital tool that allows users to anonymously notify someone of possible exposure to an STI after receiving a positive diagnosis.
How can I tell someone I have an STI without revealing who I am?
If you are concerned about having to tell someone about a diagnosis yourself, Notifica allows you to notify a partner anonymously, free of charge and confidentially by sending them a message.
This way, the person receiving the notification can know that they may have been exposed to an STI and take steps to look after their health, while the identity of the person sending the notification remains protected.
You can access the tool through ITSready and select the Notifica option.
Why is it important to notify someone after an STI diagnosis?
Some STIs, such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea, may not cause any symptoms. This means that someone can have an infection without knowing it. Making notification and early diagnosis easier helps detect potential infections sooner, prevent complications and break chains of transmission.
For this reason, notifying someone should not be seen in terms of blame or judgement, but rather as a way of looking after the health of people who may have been exposed.
Notifica, one of ITSready’s digital tools
Notifica is part of ITSready, a research and innovation project aimed at young people aged 16 to 25 in Catalonia that uses digital tools to improve knowledge about STIs and facilitate access to diagnosis.
The project includes three main tools:
- Testa’t Jove, which allows users to request a self-sampling kit free of charge.
- Notifica, for anonymously notifying someone of possible exposure to an STI.
- Informa’t, a chatbot that provides reliable and validated information about sexual health, STIs and prevention.
ITSready is funded by La Marató de 3Cat and jointly coordinated by the Fight Infections Foundation, CEEISCAT, the Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona and the Centre Jove d’Atenció a les Sexualitats.
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