STD Reporting Guidelines

What has changed about the reporting of notifiable conditions?

An extensive revision of Chapter 64D-3, Florida Administrative Code, entitled Control of Communicable Diseases and Conditions Which May Significantly Affect Public Health, was completed with an effective date of November 20, 2006. Another update was completed with an effective date of November 24, 2008.

Of note, chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, HIV, and syphilis testing is mandated during pregnancy, with an opt-out approach. Emergency departments may satisfy testing requirements by referring pregnant women of 12 weeks or greater gestation presenting with no record of prenatal care to the county health department for testing.

The reporting timeframe of immediately is only applicable for syphilis in pregnant women and neonates. AIDS and HIV laboratory test reports are to be reported within 3 days, while the associated diagnosis requires reporting within 2 weeks. All other STD tests are to be reported the next business day.

With the 2008 update of Chapter 64D-3, Florida Administrative Code, there are several changes to highlight:

• Reporting of herpes simplex virus in infants was previously reportable in infants up to six months old. This was modified to be reportable in infants up to 60 days old.

• Except for pathologists, practitioners are no longer required to report human papillomavirus cancer associated strains. Pathologists and laboratories have the same reporting requirements.

• ELR was expanded to allow ASCII delimited flat files that reflect comparable content to HL7 version 2.3.1. utilized by the Department of Health.

How Do I Report a Sexually Transmitted Disease?

If you are a practitioner, you should report diagnosis of a sexually transmitted disease to your local county health department. Click here for a listing of county health departments. (When you select the county health department closest to you, scroll down to STD Case Reporting-Private for address and fax information.)

Reports by practitioners of all STDs except HIV/AIDS are to be made on the Florida single disease report form, DH 2136 (PDF 207KB). This form can be found on the DOH STD internet page. HIV/AIDS cases are to be reported on a special CDC form.

Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.

If you are a laboratory, you should contact the department about electronic laboratory reporting. To discuss ELR implementation, please contact Christie Luce, Bureau of Epidemiology at (850) 245-4418, or ELR@doh.state.fl.us. Until you have implemented electronic reporting, you must continue to report to the local county health department having jurisdiction for the area in which the office of the submitting practitioner or the patient's residence is located.

Where Can I Find More Information on Changes to Disease Reporting?

Please find more information regarding Florida Administrative Code 64D-3 below.

To view the complete Florida Administrative Code 64D-3 please select 64D-3 Final 2008 (PDF 247 KB).

To obtain the disease report form please select it from the navigation bar at left or select the disease report form Disease Report Form (PDF 207KB).

Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.