SECTION 97.134. How to Report Sexually Transmitted Diseases

(a) All reportable information received by the health authority or the department is confidential as provided by law, including (but not limited to) Texas Health and Safety Code, §81.046 and §81.103.

(b) Reporting forms and/or information from all entities required to report should be sent to the local health authority where the health professional's office, hospital, laboratory or medical facility is located or, if there is no local health authority in that jurisdiction, the reports should be forwarded to the regional director in the department's health service region office which covers the area where the health professional's office, hospital, laboratory, or medical facility is located. A department resource to help determine the proper reporting location can be found at http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/hivstd/healthcare/reporting/regions.shtm.

(c) Reports of STD cases (including HIV) as well as HIV-exposed infants shall contain all of the information required on the reporting forms specified in §97.133(2) of this title (relating to Reporting Information for Sexually Transmitted Diseases). Forms can be obtained from local health departments and department health service regions; forms shall be provided without charge to individuals required to report. A list of local health departments and department health service region offices that can provide reporting forms is currently available at http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/hivstd/healthcare/reporting/regions.shtm.

(d) Health professionals and other persons as specified by §97.132(a)(1) - (3) of this title must submit reports of suspected primary or secondary syphilis and acute HIV infection by telephone within one working day of a suspected diagnosis. All other reports of suspected STD cases and HIV-exposed infants from health professionals and other persons as specified by §97.132 of this title must be submitted within seven calendar days of that determination.

(e) Any person in charge of a clinical laboratory or other entity as specified by §97.132(a)(2) of this title shall submit reportable syphilis test results within three working days of obtaining the test result and shall submit all other reportable STD (including HIV) test results within seven calendar days of obtaining the test results. In addition to required reporting, if, during any calendar quarter, tests for chancroid, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhea, HIV and/or syphilis are performed and all test results are non-reportable, the person in charge of reporting for the laboratory shall submit a statement to this effect on or before January 5, April 5, July 5, and October 5 following that calendar quarter.

(f) A local health authority shall forward each week to the department all cases and STD test results, including HIV infection and AIDS (stage 3 of HIV infection) reported to that health authority during the previous week.

(g) All reporting of personal health information to the department shall be submitted in accordance with department's security and confidentiality requirements, currently found at https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/hivstd/policy/security.shtm.

(1) Information on how to submit electronic reports can be obtained from the Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch through an email request (current e-mail address is [e-mail]).

(2) Paper reports should be mailed to the Texas Department of State Health Services, Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Mail Code 1873, P.O. Box 149347, Austin, Texas 78714-9347.

Source Note: The provisions of this §97.134 adopted to be effective January 1, 1999, 23 TexReg 12669; amended to be effective August 5, 2001, 26 TexReg 5819; amended to be effective January 1, 2010, 34 TexReg 9445; amended to be effective October 14, 2015, 40 TexReg 7234