This LawAtlas map shows state statutes and regulations that address health departments’ ability to release and use personally identifiable information to promote public health and coordinate care. It contains state statutes and regulations regarding HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and tuberculosis.
Public health departments strive to effectively treat communicable diseases like sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis, but co-infection of communicable diseases can have a negative impact on health. When a person has more than one communicable disease at the same time, it is important for departments to collaborate and share information regarding care and treatment. State laws designed to protect patient confidentiality can sometimes make it challenging for health departments to effectively coordinate care for a person with multiple diseases.