§ 44-29-135 — Confidentiality of sexually transmitted disease records.

All information and records held by the Department of Health and Environmental Control and its agents relating to a known or suspected case of a sexually transmitted disease are strictly confidential except as provided in this section. The information must not be released or made public, upon subpoena or otherwise, except under the following circumstances: (a) release is made of medical or epidemiological information for statistical purposes in a manner that no individual person can be identified; (b) release is made of medical or epidemiological information with the consent of all persons identified in the information released; (c) release is made of medical or epidemiological information to the extent necessary to enforce the provisions of this chapter and related regulations concerning the control and treatment of a sexually transmitted disease; (d) release is made of medical or epidemiological information to medical personnel to the extent necessary to protect the health or life of any person; (e) in cases involving a minor, the name of the minor and medical information concerning the minor must be reported to appropriate agents if a report of abuse or neglect is required by Section 63-7-310; or (f) if a minor has Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or is infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS, and is attending a public school in kindergarten through fifth grade, the department shall notify the superintendent of the school district and the nurse or other health professional assigned to the school the minor attends. This notification and information contained in the notification must not be recorded in the child's permanent record. However, if this information is in the child's permanent school record, the information must be purged from the child's record before the child enters the sixth grade.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 1978 Act No. 542 SECTION 2; 1988 Act No. 490, SECTION 10; 2011 Act No. 34, SECTION 1, eff June 7, 2011.