Privacy / STD Reporting Question

[drlove]

Quest for Less' story about his friend Jed brought this query to the forefront:

1) I'm wondering if there is any (legal) onus on a party diagnosed with an STD to inform past partners?? (esp. the person thought to have transmitted it so she could get herself checked also.)

2) In the case of a hobbyist who contracts an std from an sp - while future partners should definitely be informed, would it not be an invasion of privacy to ask that the individual try to track down and inform the lady in question?? Moreover, how could one be reasonably certain who transmitted the disease to him in the first place given the multitude of partners a hobbyist has over a short time period??

3) Most importantly, if one goes for a regular std check-up, and the hospital finds a positive test for something, can they compell an individual to contact the partners they have had, or try and do so itself??

I can just see a hobbyist calling an agency and saying "Uh.. hi... one of your girls gave me (insert name of disease here)"

What exactly occurs in such an instance??

 

[PendaKuma]

the labs which perform the tests on the samples taken at your doctor
or elsewhere are obligated by law to report your name and diagnosis
to the public health department

the public health department does contact tracing, unless your family
doctor agrees to assume the responsibility(which he should). A nosy nurse calls you and asks for the names of your partners.

all these violations of patient confidentiality can be avoided by going to the Hassle Free Clinic on ?Jarvis St downtown.

 

[drlove]

...the public health department does contact tracing, unless your family
doctor agrees to assume the responsibility(which he should). A nosy nurse calls you and asks for the names of your partners.

So the public health dept./ doctor/nurse/ will call the escort agency... I'd like to see that! *lol* Besides, a patient has the right to confidentiality does s/he not?? They are not required to give any contact info, so how would anyone be the wiser??

P.S. Not everyone lives in Toronto.. unfortunately.

 

[drlove]

There is no conflict with patient confidentiality as in this case, the public good outweighs the privacy question. By law, there are a number of diseases that must be reported, and follow up action taken.

Given the very dangerous outcomes if a disease is not treated, who would not want to tell their partner(s) that they should immediately be checked.

I agree with you. I am simply thinking in terms of this industry. A hobbyist (in most cases) only knows the lady by her stage name. Moreover, the list of partners could be quite extensive, and given that some ladies tend to only be involved in the industry for short periods of time, it would make locating and informing all required parties a very arduous task indeed.

 

[spartan5782]

Moreover, the list of partners could be quite extensive, and given that some ladies tend to only be involved in the industry for short periods of time, it would make locating and informing all required parties a very arduous task indeed.

While the laws vary from State to State here in the US, I've seen nothing to suggest that individuals are required to give this type of information. The Health Care Professionals have this requirement, but not individuals. Probably because the "reporting" is from known facts, not speculation of who "might" be at risk. In anycase, I agree drlove, that the list of partners would be inexhaustible. It's not just finding who all you've been in sexual contact with, but of course all their partners and their partners and their partners and...........Then of course, who has shared needles as well.

As I read Quest4Less's story, I couldn't help but imagine his SO sitting in a corner crying her eyes out because she just found out she had Herpes. The kicker is she was not crying because she hated "Jed" for passing it on to her (that cheatin bastard).....No, she was crying because she didn't know how to tell him of the 3 guys she recently had unprotected sex with!

I gotta tell ya, trying to find out who infected whom. when and how is an impossible task. With everyone capable of having multiple partners (we can't be the only ones..lol), it's in the system. Best advice....WEAR PROTECTION!! It's either that or abstinence, and we all know that's not an option!!