Partner disclosure
STD Disclosure Script Generator
The hardest part is often the first sentence. Answer four quick questions and this free, private tool drafts a calm, honest message - shaped to the infection, your relationship, and whether you'd rather text or talk - that you can copy, edit, and send in your own voice.
Prefer not to say it's you? A health department can notify partners confidentially, or use our anonymous notification tool.
STD disclosure script generator
Your message
A few tips before you send it
This is a starting point, not medical or legal advice, edit it to sound like you. Only a clinician can advise on your specific infection, and a health department can help with confidential partner notification.
Saying it well
How to disclose an STI to a partner
The hardest part is starting. Pick a private, unhurried moment, not right before one of you has to leave, and lead with the facts rather than an apology. Most STIs are common and either curable or very manageable, and saying so early keeps the whole conversation calm.
Be honest and direct, then give them room to react: it's a lot to take in, and a first response isn't always a final one. Having testing info ready to share turns the news into a clear next step instead of a dead end. The generator above builds a message along these lines; edit it to sound like you.
Two routes
Telling them yourself vs anonymous notification
This tool is for when you'd rather tell a partner yourself, in your own words. That personal route often lands best with a current or recent partner who already knows you.
If you'd prefer not to reveal that it's you, there's another path: many health departments run free, confidential partner services that contact partners without naming you, and anonymous tools can send a heads-up to get tested. Our anonymous notification tool handles that route. Both approaches share the same goal, getting partners tested so nothing gets passed back and forth.
A note on the law
Disclosure duties vary by state
Whether you're legally required to disclose depends on the infection and where you live: some states have specific disclosure laws, particularly for HIV. This page is general information, not legal advice.
If a legal or safety situation is on your mind, a clinician or a local health department's partner-services team can advise you and can even notify partners confidentially on your behalf. To see confidentiality and testing options where you live, use our confidential testing by state guide.
Next steps
Related tools and next steps
Tell a partner anonymously
Send a confidential heads-up to get tested without revealing your identity.
Who to notify
How far back to reach out, tuned to your infection and its timeline.
Confidential testing by state
Privacy, minor-consent, and confidentiality rules where you live.
Find testing & care
Clinics, at-home kits and free options near you.
Sources
Where this guidance comes from
The disclosure and partner-notification framing follows the CDC's partner-services and STI treatment guidance, reviewed by our editorial team. The message this tool writes is a starting point you edit, not a script we prescribe.
Medically Reviewed & Fact-Checked · Updated
Reviewed by EasySTD Editorial Team
Compiled and checked by EasySTD's editorial team against CDC and public-health sources. This is educational information, not a substitute for advice from a licensed clinician. Our editorial guidelines →
3 Sources
Data & references
- CDC: Partner Services (partner notification & referral)https://www.cdc.gov/std/program/partner-services.htm
- CDC: STI Treatment Guidelines, 2021https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/default.htm
- CDC: How You Can Prevent STIshttps://www.cdc.gov/sti/prevention/index.html
EasySTD is an information and comparison directory, not a healthcare provider. This tool is general information: it is not medical or legal advice, a diagnosis, or a prescription, and it does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Only a clinician can advise on your specific infection, and a local health department can help with confidential partner notification.
Good to Know
Telling a partner: frequently asked questions
The law, staying anonymous, how to bring it up, and privacy.
Do I legally have to tell a partner?
It depends on the infection and your state: some states have specific disclosure laws, particularly for HIV. Beyond the law, telling partners is how they get tested and treated and how you both stay healthy. If you're worried about a legal or safety situation, a clinician or a local health department's partner-services team can advise you and can even notify partners confidentially on your behalf.
What if I don't want them to know it's me?
You have options. Many health departments offer free, confidential partner services that will contact your partners for you without naming you. There are also anonymous notification tools, our own is at Tell a Partner, that send a heads-up to get tested without revealing your identity. This script generator is for when you'd rather tell them yourself, in your own words.
How do I bring it up without it being a disaster?
Pick a private, unhurried moment; lead with the facts (most STIs are common and treatable); be honest and calm; and give them room to react. You're sharing information so they can look after their health: that's a respectful thing to do, not something to apologize for. Having testing info ready to share helps turn it into a next step rather than a crisis.
Is what I type here private?
Yes. This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your choices and the message are never sent to a server, saved, or shared, the whole thing is generated on your device. Copy what you need, close the tab, and nothing remains.
Should they get tested even if I've been treated?
Usually yes. If you had a curable STI, a current or recent partner should still be tested and often treated, otherwise you can pass it back and forth. For a curable infection, the standard advice is to avoid sex until you've both finished treatment and any waiting period. A provider can tell you the exact timeline for your infection.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.