Doctor, please don't tell my partner I have a sexually transmitted disease

What is the correct, legal, and ethical way to respond to a patient you have diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) from an extra-marital affair and requests that you do not report the condition to the spouse or other intimate partners? There are several ethical considerations in this kind of scenario to consider including patient confidentiality and autonomy versus the spouse's beneficence and non-maleficence.1,2 Not treating some STDs (like syphilis) can result in severe long-term consequences and even death.
Source: Clinics in Dermatology - Category: Dermatology Authors: Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research