141A.5 - PARTNER NOTIFICATION PROGRAM -- HIV.

        141A.5  PARTNER NOTIFICATION PROGRAM -- HIV.
         1.  The department shall maintain a partner notification program
      for persons known to have tested positive for HIV infection.
         2.  In administering the program, the department shall provide for
      the following:
         a.  A person who tests positive for HIV infection shall
      receive post-test counseling, during which time the person shall be
      encouraged to refer for counseling and HIV testing any person with
      whom the person has had sexual relations or has shared drug injecting
      equipment.
         b.  The physician or other health care provider attending the
      person may provide to the department any relevant information
      provided by the person regarding any person with whom the tested
      person has had sexual relations or has shared drug injecting
      equipment.
         c. (1)  Devise a procedure, as a part of the partner
      notification program, to provide for the notification of an
      identifiable third party who is a sexual partner of or who shares
      drug injecting equipment with a person who has tested positive for
      HIV, by the department or a physician, when all of the following
      situations exist:
         (a)  A physician for the infected person is of the good faith
      opinion that the nature of the continuing contact poses an imminent
      danger of HIV infection transmission to the third party.
         (b)  When the physician believes in good faith that the infected
      person, despite strong encouragement, has not and will not warn the
      third party and will not participate in the voluntary partner
      notification program.
         (2)  Notwithstanding subsection 3, the department or a physician
      may reveal the identity of a person who has tested positive for HIV
      infection pursuant to this subsection only to the extent necessary to
      protect a third party from the direct threat of transmission.  This
      subsection shall not be interpreted to create a duty to warn third
      parties of the danger of exposure to HIV through contact with a
      person who tests positive for HIV infection.
         (3)  The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to
      implement this paragraph "c".  The rules shall provide a detailed
      procedure by which the department or a physician may directly notify
      an endangered third party.
         3.  In making contact the department shall not disclose the
      identity of the person who provided the names of the persons to be
      contacted and shall protect the confidentiality of persons contacted.

         4.  The department may delegate its partner notification duties
      under this section to local health authorities unless the local
      authority refuses or neglects to conduct the partner notification
      program in a manner deemed to be effective by the department.
         5.  In addition to the provisions for partner notification
      provided under this section and notwithstanding any provision to the
      contrary, a county medical examiner or deputy medical examiner
      performing official duties pursuant to sections 331.801 through
      331.805 or the state medical examiner or deputy medical examiner
      performing official duties pursuant to chapter 691, who determines
      through an investigation that a deceased person was infected with
      HIV, may notify directly, or request that the department notify, the
      immediate family of the deceased or any person known to have had a
      significant exposure from the deceased of the finding.  
         Section History: Recent Form
         99 Acts, ch 181, §9; 2007 Acts, ch 70, §6
         Referred to in §141A.9, 141A.11