Response to Hayter M (2010) Commentary on East L, Jackson D, Peters K & O'Brien L (2010) Disrupted sense of self: young women and sexually transmitted infection. Journal of Clinical Nursing 19, 2952-2953

We appreciate the commentary provided by Hayter (2010) and the contention surrounding sexual health ethics and, specifically, the non-disclosure aspects among individuals who have an STI that Hayter refers to. The clinical application of our work, as discussed by Hayter, illuminates the dilemmas that can be associated with the need to maintain patient confidentiality (in relation to non-notifiable diseases) and health risks to the wider population. In the clinical arena, many sexual health clinics have implemented procedures, such as contact tracing, to assist individuals in disclosing infections to sexual partners, whilst remaining relatively anonymous. However, such methods are reliant on patients providing accurate information about their sexual history.