§ 35-4-133 — Examination and treatment of infected persons; treatment at public expense; notification of exposed individuals; suppression of prostitution

Wyoming § 35-4-133

• Jurisdiction: Wyoming
• Title 35: Public Health and Safety
• Ch. 4: HEALTH REGULATIONS GENERALLY
• Art. 1: COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Text

(a) Upon receipt of a report or notice of a case or a
reasonably suspected case of sexually transmitted disease
infection, a health officer within his respective jurisdiction:
(i) May isolate the individual in accordance with
existing standards of medical practice;
(ii) If examination has not been performed, may
provide for the examination of the infected individual or the
individual reasonably suspected of suffering from a sexually
transmitted disease and shall report the examination results to
the individual;
(iii) May require the infected individual to seek
adequate treatment or, subject to subsection (d) of this
section, may require the individual to submit to treatment at
public expense; and
(iv) May arrange for education and counseling of the
infected individual as to the medical significance of the
sexually transmitted disease.
(b) To the extent possible, the health officer shall
identify any other person with whom the infected individual has
had contact which may have resulted in significant exposure of
that person to a dangerous or life-threatening sexually
transmitted disease. For purposes of this subsection,
"significant exposure" means:
(i) Contact of an emergency medical services
provider's broken skin or mucous membrane with the infected
individual's blood or bodily fluids other than tears or
perspiration;
(ii) That a needle stick, or scalpel or other
instrument wound has occurred in the process of caring for the
infected individual;
(iii) Sexual contact;
(iv) Exposure that occurs by any other method of
transmission defined by the department as a significant
exposure; or
(v) Exposure that occurs during the course of
examination or treatment by dental care providers.
(c) To the extent possible, a health officer shall make
every reasonable effort to notify any person identified in
subsection (b) of this section of his possible exposure to a
sexually transmitted disease. Such notification shall include
the name of the sexually transmitted disease to which the person
may have been exposed, the approximate date of possible
exposure, and shall advise the person of the nature of the
disease and sources for education and counseling as to the
medical significance of the disease. The health officer shall
not provide information as to the specific identity of the
infected individual unless the health officer has received
written authorization for release of information from the
infected individual.
(d) Public funds appropriated for treatment of any
individual infected with a sexually transmitted disease shall be
spent in accordance with priorities established by the
department of health. In establishing priorities, the
department shall consider the treatment's cost, effectiveness,
curative capacity and public health benefit to the state.
(e) A health officer shall investigate sources of sexually
transmitted disease, cooperate with the proper law enforcement
officials in enforcing laws against prostitution and otherwise
assist in the suppression of prostitution.
(f) Upon receipt of information documenting an actual
exposure of a health care worker as provided in paragraphs
(b)(i) and (ii) of this section to blood or body fluids of a
patient where the exposure could lead to a communicable disease
infection which is capable of transmission by blood or other
body fluids, a health care provider acting within his scope of
practice may order appropriate testing to be performed on a
specimen from the patient by a duly licensed and accredited
laboratory. If the patient's specimen is not available for
testing, a health care provider acting within his scope of
practice, or county health officer may, with the patient's
consent, order the necessary testing according to the rules and
regulations promulgated by the Wyoming department of health. If
the patient does not consent to testing, the county health
officer or the authority responsible for the care of the patient
may apply to the district court for an order to have the
necessary testing performed. Test results will be kept
confidential and will be reported by the health care provider in
accordance with W.S. 35-4-130 through 35-4-134. Reports to the
department of health shall be made on an official state disease
case report form or the report may be made by telephone with
confirmation by the written form. For purposes of this section,
"health care worker" means all personnel involved in the care of
a patient, including first responders, such as law enforcement
officers, rescue personnel and those acting as good samaritans.