32-1860. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome;
disclosure of patient information; immunity; definition
A. Notwithstanding section 32-1854, it is not an act of unprofessional conduct for
a physician to report to the department of health services the name of a patient's spouse
or sex partner or a person with whom the patient has shared hypodermic needles or
syringes if the physician knows that the patient has contracted or tests positive for the
human immunodeficiency virus and that the patient has not or will not notify these people
and refer them to testing. Before making the report to the department of health
services, the physician shall first consult with the patient and ask the patient to
release this information voluntarily.
B. It is not an act of unprofessional conduct for a physician who knows or has
reason to believe that a significant exposure has occurred between a patient infected
with the human immunodeficiency virus and a health care or public safety employee to
inform the employee of the exposure. Before informing the employee, the physician shall
consult with the patient and ask the patient to release this information voluntarily. If
the patient does not release this information the physician may do so in a manner that
does not identify the patient.
C. This section does not impose a duty to disclose information. A physician is not
civilly or criminally liable for either disclosing or not disclosing information.
D. If a physician decides to make a disclosure pursuant to this section, he may
request that the department of health services make the disclosure on his behalf.
E. For the purposes of this section, "significant exposure" means contact of a
person's ruptured or broken skin or mucous membranes with another person's blood or body
fluids, other than tears, saliva or perspiration, of a magnitude that the centers for
disease control of the United States public health service have epidemiologically
demonstrated can result in transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus.
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