Reporting of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) – Not Including HIV
For reports of STDs, please complete both the general section of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene 1140 morbidity report and the STD specific section below it.
https://phpa.health.maryland.gov/Pages/what-to-report.aspx
Maryland law and regulation require reporting of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia by both laboratories and health care providers. The dual reporting system is intentional – the clinical and demographic information you provide (which is normally unavailable from laboratories) enables the Department of Health to better monitor disease trends. Complete all of the demographic information on the laboratory form.
Preventing Congenital Syphilis
In accordance with Health-General §18-307 and COMAR 10.06.01.17(D), all pregnant women shall be screened serologically for syphilis a minimum of two times during their prenatal visits:
- at the first prenatal visit and
- in the third trimester at 28 weeks of gestation or as soon as possible thereafter.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommend the following:
- No infant should leave the hospital without the maternal serologic status having been determined at least once during pregnancy.
- Any woman who delivers a stillborn infant after 20 weeks gestation should be tested for syphilis, and the fetus should also be tested for syphilis using a confirmatory test (e.g., dark field microscopy).
- Serologic testing should be performed at delivery in areas where the prevalence of syphilis is high or for patients at high risk.
STD Services and Treatment Schedules
The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) and each county’s local health department have professional personnel to provide a full range of services to individuals testing positive for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Services include counseling, education, partner notification, and routine screening and medical evaluation of partners, while always adhering to the strictest measures of confidentiality. If you have a patient who recently tested positive for syphilis, gonorrhea or chlamydia infection, the State or local program may contact your office for additional information, such as confirmatory test results or treatment type and date, as part of assuring comprehensive prevention and case management for your clients and their respective partners. If you want to refer your patient to the local health department for HIV test results notification or partner services, use the appropriate check box on the morbidity report form.
Current recommended treatment schedules for syphilis, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases are available from local health departments. For more information, see the CDC’s “Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines,” available at https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/, and the update to those guidelines at CDC STI Guidelines Update.
The Anne Arundel County Department of Health provides confidential treatment for STDs through a voucher system. A voucher issued by the Department can be taken to certain providers who provide STD treatment under contract. To find out more or to refer patients, call the Infectious Disease Control Program at 410-222-7108.