§ 117 — Establishment and maintenance of clinics for prevention of HIV or treatment of venereal diseases; examinations; minors

Section 117. For the purpose of providing prevention of HIV or treatment for persons suffering from venereal diseases, as defined under section six, and who are unable to pay for private medical care, the department shall, or with the co-operation of local boards of health, hospitals, dispensaries or other agencies may, establish and maintain clinics in such parts of the commonwealth as it may deem most advantageous to the public health, and may otherwise provide prevention of HIV or treatment for such diseases subject to such rules and regulations as the department may from time to time establish. Cities and towns, separately or jointly, through their boards of health or municipal hospitals, may establish and maintain such clinics. For the purposes of this section, providing prevention of HIV or treatment shall include providing transportation or the reasonable cost of such transportation to and from the place where treatment is given whenever the patient is not able to pay for such transportation.For the purposes of this section, physical examination, prevention of HIV and treatment provided by a health care provider, as defined in section 1, upon the person of a minor who voluntarily appears therefor shall not constitute an assault and battery upon said minor.