Texas Administrative Code › Title 25 - HEALTH SERVICES › Part 1 - DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES › Chapter 97 - COMMUNICABLE DISEASES › Subchapter F - SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES INCLUDING ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS) AND HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) › Section 97.134 - How to Report Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(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
				  HIVSTDreporting@dshs.state.tx.us).
(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.