Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT) is the clinical practice of treating the sex partners of patients diagnosed with chlamydia by providing prescriptions or medications to the patient to take to his/her partner without the health care provider first examining the partner.
Why EPT?
EPT is a useful option to facilitate partner management, particularly for the treatment of male partners of women with chlamydial infection. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) disproportionately affect women and create a preventable threat to their fertility. One factor that contributes to young women's high rates of STIs is reinfection from an untreated sexual partner. One way to address this problem is through expedited partner therapy, the practice of treating the sexual partners of patients in whom STIs are diagnosed.
Legal Status of EPT
Legal Status of EPT in Kansas: There is no statutory requirement that patients be examined by a physician prior to being given a prescription at a non-profit clinic. However, the need for a physical examination depends on the facts and standards of competent medical practice. XVI Kan. Op. Att'y Gen. 60, Number 82-162 (1982)