WAC 246-100-202   Special diseases -- Sexually transmitted diseases -- Duties and authorities.  (1) Health care providers shall:

     (a) Report each case of sexually transmitted disease as required in chapter 246-101 WAC; and

     (b) At each medical encounter, when providing treatment for an infectious sexually transmitted disease, provide instruction, appropriate to each patient regarding:

     (i) Communicability of the disease; and

     (ii) Requirements to refrain from acts that may transmit the disease to another; and

     (c) Ensure completion of a prenatal serologic test for syphilis in each pregnant woman pursuant to RCW 70.24.090 including:

     (i) Submitting a blood sample for syphilis to a laboratory approved to perform prenatal serologic tests for syphilis, as required in RCW 70.24.090, at the time of the first prenatal visit; and

     (ii) Deciding whether or not to omit the serologic test for syphilis if the test was performed elsewhere during the current pregnancy; and

     (d) When diagnosing or caring for a patient with gonococcal or chlamydial ophthalmia neonatorum, reporting the case to the local health officer or local health department in accordance with the provisions of chapter 246-101 WAC; and

     (e) Instill a prophylactic ophthalmic agent into both eyes of the newborn as prophylaxis against ophthalmia neonatorum up to two hours after the delivery, whether the delivery occurred vaginally or by Cesarean section. Acceptable ophthalmic prophylactic agents are application of erythromycin or tetracycline. In the event the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declares a shortage of these prophylactic ophthalmic agents health care providers may substitute alternative prophylactic ophthalmic agents recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If the newborn's parent(s) or legal guardian refuses this procedure, the health care provider will document the refusal in the newborn's medical record.

     (2) Laboratories, health care providers, and other persons shall deny issuance of a certificate or statement implying an individual is free from sexually transmitted disease.

     (3) State and local health officers or their authorized representatives shall have authority to conduct or cause to be conducted an interview and investigation of persons infected or reasonably believed to be infected with a sexually transmitted disease.

     (a) For the purpose of this section, "reasonable belief" and "reasonably believed" shall mean a health officer's belief based upon a credible report from an identifiable individual indicating another person is likely to have a sexually transmitted disease (STD) or to have been exposed to a STD;

     (b) Investigations shall be conducted using procedures and measures described in WAC 246-100-036(4).

     (4) Local health officers, health care providers, and others shall comply with the provisions in chapter 70.24 RCW, in addition to requirements in chapters 246-100 and 246-101 WAC.

     (5) Any person who violates a rule adopted by the board for the control and treatment of a sexually transmitted disease is subject to penalty under RCW 70.24.080.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 70.24.130. 09-22-097, § 246-100-202, filed 11/4/09, effective 12/5/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.24.130 and 70.24.380. 05-11-110, § 246-100-202, filed 5/18/05, effective 6/18/05.]