§ 23-6-27 Reporting of HIV/AIDS and perinatal exposure of newborns. – (a) The following persons shall report information required by this section to the department's HIV/AIDS surveillance team:
(1) A physician/health care provider who diagnoses or treats HIV/AIDS;
(2) The administrator of a health care facility as defined in Rhode Island general laws chapter 23-17 who diagnoses or treats HIV/AIDS; or
(3) The administrator of a prison in which there is an HIV/AIDS infected person or perinatal exposure to HIV/AIDS.
Reports provided under this section shall specify the infected person's name, as well as all information required on the official department HIV Case Report Form.
(b) Any high managerial agent who is responsible for the administration of a clinical or hospital laboratory, blood bank, mobile unit, or other facility in which a laboratory examination of any specimen derived from a human body yields serological, or other evidence of HIV/AIDS, including perinatal exposure to HIV/AIDS shall notify the department in a timely manner as stipulated in the rules promulgated by the department. Reports provided under this section shall specify the name as well as all information indicated on the official department HIV Case Report Form.
(c) Reports as required by this section shall only be made if confirmed with a Western Blot or other FDA approved confirmatory test.
(1) All facilities obtaining blood from human donors for the purpose of transfusion or manufacture of blood products shall report HIV/AIDS consistent with this section.
(2) Any laboratory that processes specimens shall permit the department to examine the records of said laboratory, facility, or office in order to evaluate compliance with this section.
(d) Perinatal HIV/AIDS exposure reporting shall be made to the department regardless of confirmatory testing.
(e) Reports required by this section shall be mailed within forty-eight (48) hours of diagnosis or treatment, to the department using a designated envelope that shall be provided by the department's HIV/AIDS Surveillance Team. Any other reporting method shall be approved in advance by the department.
(f) Nothing in this section shall preclude the performance of anonymous HIV/AIDS testing.