(1) It is the duty of the executive
director, health officers, or local directors to investigate sexually transmitted
infections and to use appropriate means to prevent the spread of such sexually
transmitted infections.
(2) As part of infection control efforts, it is the duty of the executive director,
health officers, and local directors to provide public information; risk-reduction
education; voluntary testing; counseling; age-appropriate, medically accurate, and
culturally responsive educational materials for school use; and professional
education for public safety workers and health-care providers.
(3) The state department shall provide current, evidence-based, and
medically accurate programs under which the state department and local public
health agencies may perform the following tasks:
(a) Provide and disseminate to health-care providers digital, written, and
verbal presentations describing the epidemiology, prevention, testing, diagnosis,
treatment, medical services, counseling, and other aspects of sexually transmitted
infections;
(b) Provide consultation to agencies and organizations, including those
employing public safety workers, regarding appropriate policies for prevention,
testing, education, confidentiality, and control of sexually transmitted infections;
(c) Conduct health information programs to inform the general public of the
medical and psychosocial aspects of sexually transmitted infections, including
updated information on how these infections are transmitted and may be
prevented. The state department shall provide and distribute to the residents of the
state, at no charge, printed and electronic information and instructions concerning
the risks from sexually transmitted infections, the prevention of sexually
transmitted infections, and the necessity for testing.
(d) Update and provide educational information concerning sexually
transmitted infections that employers may use in the workplace;
(e) Provide and implement medically accurate and culturally appropriate
educational risk-reduction programs for specific populations at higher risk for
infection; and
(f) Update and provide accurate, age-appropriate, and culturally responsive
sexually transmitted infection prevention curricula for use at the discretion of
secondary and middle schools in the state.
(4) When investigating sexually transmitted infections, the state department
and local public health agencies, within their respective jurisdictions, may inspect
and have access to medical and laboratory records relevant to their investigation.
(5) Every person who is confined, detained, or imprisoned in a state, county,
or city hospital; an institution for persons with behavioral or mental health
disorders; a home for dependent children; a correctional facility; or any other
private or charitable institution where a person may be confined, detained, or
imprisoned by order of a court of this state must be examined for and, if diagnosed
with a sexually transmitted infection, referred for treatment of such sexually
transmitted infection, in accordance with current standards of care, by the health
authorities having jurisdiction over the given institution. The managing authorities
of any such institution shall make available to the health authorities whatever
portion of their respective institution as may be necessary for a clinic or hospital for
treatment of a person's sexually transmitted infection with current and evidence-based standards of care in a professional manner.
(6) (a) When a public safety worker, emergency or other health-care
provider, first responder, victim of crime, or a staff member of a correctional
facility, the state department, or a local public health agency has been exposed to
blood or other bodily fluids for which there is an evidence-based reason to believe it
may result in exposure to a sexually transmitted infection, the state department or
local public health agency, within their respective jurisdictions, shall assist in the
evaluation and treatment of any involved persons by:
(I) Accessing information on the incident and any persons involved to
determine whether a potential exposure to infection occurred;
(II) When the potential for exposure has been determined by the state
department or a local public health agency, examining and testing any involved
persons to determine infection;
(III) Communicating relevant information and laboratory test results on
involved persons directly to the involved person or to his or her attending health-care provider, if the confidentiality of such information and test results are
acknowledged by the recipient and adequately protected, as provided for in section
25-4-406; and
(IV) Providing timely counseling to any involved persons on the potential
health risks resulting from exposure to infection; prophylaxis and treatment of
infections until cured, where possible; treatment to prevent progression of such
infections; measures for preventing transmission to others; and the necessity of
regular medical evaluations.
(b) For the purposes of this subsection (6), the employer of an involved
person shall comply with the provisions of section 25-4-406 and ensure that
relevant information and laboratory test results on the involved person are kept
confidential.