Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 252 - Communicable diseases.
252.11 - Sexually transmitted disease.

252.11 Sexually transmitted disease.
(1) In this section, “sexually transmitted disease" means syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and other diseases the department includes by rule.
(1m) A physician or other health care professional called to attend a person infected with any form of sexually transmitted disease, as specified in rules promulgated by the department, shall report the disease to the local health officer and to the department in the manner directed by the department in writing on forms furnished by the department. A physician may treat a minor infected with a sexually transmitted disease or examine and diagnose a minor for the presence of such a disease without obtaining the consent of the minor's parents or guardian. The physician shall incur no civil liability solely by reason of the lack of consent of the minor's parents or guardian.
(2) An officer of the department or a local health officer having knowledge of any reported or reasonably suspected case or contact of a sexually transmitted disease for which no appropriate treatment is being administered, or of an actual contact of a reported case or potential contact of a reasonably suspected case, shall investigate or cause the case or contact to be investigated as necessary. If, following a request of an officer of the department or a local health officer, a person reasonably suspected of being infected with a sexually transmitted disease refuses or neglects examination by a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse prescriber or treatment, an officer of the department or a local health officer may proceed to have the person committed under sub. (5) to an institution or system of care for examination, treatment, or observation.
(4) If a person infected with a sexually transmitted disease ceases or refuses treatment before reaching what in a physician's, physician assistant's, or advanced practice nurse prescriber's opinion is the noncommunicable stage, the physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse prescriber shall notify the department. The department shall without delay take the necessary steps to have the person committed for treatment or observation under sub. (5), or shall notify the local health officer to take these steps.
(5) Any court of record may commit a person infected with a sexually transmitted disease to any institution or may require the person to undergo a system of care for examination, treatment, or observation if the person ceases or refuses examination, treatment, or observation under the supervision of a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse prescriber. The court shall summon the person to appear on a date at least 48 hours, but not more than 96 hours, after service if an officer of the department or a local health officer petitions the court and states the facts authorizing commitment. If the person fails to appear or fails to accept commitment without reasonable cause, the court may cite the person for contempt. The court may issue a warrant and may direct the sheriff, any constable, or any police officer of the county immediately to arrest the person and bring the person to court if the court finds that a summons will be ineffectual. The court shall hear the matter of commitment summarily. Commitment under this subsection continues until the disease is no longer communicable or until other provisions are made for treatment that satisfy the department. The certificate of the petitioning officer is prima facie evidence that the disease is no longer communicable or that satisfactory provisions for treatment have been made.
(5m) A health care professional, as defined in s. 968.38 (1) (a), acting under an order of a court under s. 938.296 (4) or 968.38 (4) may, without first obtaining informed consent to the testing, subject an individual to a test or a series of tests to ascertain whether that individual is infected with a sexually transmitted disease. No sample used for performance of a test under this subsection may disclose the name of the test subject.
(7) Reports, examinations and inspections and all records concerning sexually transmitted diseases are confidential and not open to public inspection, and may not be divulged except as may be necessary for the preservation of the public health, in the course of commitment proceedings under sub. (5), or as provided under s. 938.296 (4) or 968.38 (4). If a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse prescriber has reported a case of sexually transmitted disease to the department under sub. (4), information regarding the presence of the disease and treatment is not privileged when the patient, physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse prescriber is called upon to testify to the facts before any court of record.
(9) The department shall prepare for free distribution upon request to state residents, information and instructions concerning sexually transmitted diseases.
(10) The state laboratory of hygiene shall examine specimens for the diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases for any physician, naturopathic doctor, physician assistant, advanced practice nurse prescriber, or local health officer in the state, and shall report the positive results of the examinations to the local health officer and to the department. All laboratories performing tests for sexually transmitted diseases shall report all positive results to the local health officer and to the department, with the name of the physician, naturopathic doctor, physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse prescriber to whom reported.
(11) In each county with an incidence of gonorrhea, antibiotic resistant gonorrhea, chlamydia or syphilis that exceeds the statewide average, a program to diagnose and treat sexually transmitted diseases at no cost to the patient is required. The county board of supervisors is responsible for ensuring that the program exists, but is required to establish its own program only if no other public or private program is operating. The department shall compile statistics indicating the incidence of gonorrhea, antibiotic resistant gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis for each county in the state.
History: 1971 c. 42, 125; 1973 c. 90; 1975 c. 6; 1975 c. 383 s. 4; 1975 c. 421; 1981 c. 291; 1991 a. 269; 1993 a. 27 s. 297; Stats. 1993 s. 252.11; 1993 a. 32; 1995 a. 77; 1999 a. 188; 2005 a. 187; 2009 a. 209; 2011 a. 161; 2021 a. 130.

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