statutory rape / STD

[Elmo]

Just came accross this issue in an ethics book. A minor comes to you for birth control and STD. You go ahead and prescribe the pill (patient's best interest, etc etc), but :

 

1) She has STD. Are you obliged to report to her boyfriend? (How) do you track him down?!

 

2) She is a minor and her BF is 19. This is statutory rape where she is. Are required to report it?

 

I would opt for having a discussion with her and urging her to disclose this info to her BF. But what does the law say? How about the second point?

[Satsuma]

If her STD is a reportable one then you would have to report it to the public health unit and they take care of it from there. Of course, you'd let the pt know it is your responsibility to report.

 

If it is not a reportable STD, then nope you don`t notify her bf, but of course you could encourage her to do so.

 

If you know a child who is being abused (you did not mention her age) then you need to report the issue to Children's Aid....in Ontario that would be if she is 16 or under.

[Elmo]

Thanks to both of you for the replies! The regulations seem pretty clear cut re STD.

 

The scenario indicated she is 16 and her STD was gonorrhea. I suppose even if this came up during the interview and I didn't know the details of regulations, I could indicate that I would have to find out what the age of consent is, and which STD's are reportable.

 

Thanks again!

[rocky222]

Aren't all STDs reportable to public health agencies?? I didn't realize there were ones that weren't. Anyone know them offhand?

[Talon01]

You can get gonorrhea in some ways that don't involve say... criminal sex... for underage youth. *ahem* It might be a good idea to know the age of consent in the province where you're interviewing...

 

Word. Don't forget you can get gonorrhea from a toilet seat too

[Ollie]

Aren't all STDs reportable to public health agencies?? I didn't realize there were ones that weren't. Anyone know them offhand?

Herpes and HPV/genital warts aren't. On my family medicine rotation my staff was telling me how she has a patient who has herpes and he won't tell his wife (because "she won't have sex with me if I tell her". Ummm, how about she should divorce you for cheating on her!). The wife is also her patient and she can't tell her or even get public health to tell her. That's gonna suck when the wife shows up with a case of herpes.

 

That reminds me of another story. I saw a woman in emerg with a first trimester bleed. I asked her if she had a history of any STD's and she said no then turned and pointed at her husband and says loudly "but HE has herpes!" That was a little awkward.

 

But back to the original topic...

[Orchid]

 

That reminds me of another story. I saw a woman in emerg with a first trimester bleed. I asked her if she had a history of any STD's and she said no then turned and pointed at her husband and says loudly "but HE has herpes!" That was a little awkward.

\

 

 

hahah that is great

[Vallinar]

Herpes and HPV/genital warts aren't. On my family medicine rotation my staff was telling me how she has a patient who has herpes and he won't tell his wife (because "she won't have sex with me if I tell her". Ummm, how about she should divorce you for cheating on her!). The wife is also her patient and she can't tell her or even get public health to tell her. That's gonna suck when the wife shows up with a case of herpes.

 

That reminds me of another story. I saw a woman in emerg with a first trimester bleed. I asked her if she had a history of any STD's and she said no then turned and pointed at her husband and says loudly "but HE has herpes!" That was a little awkward.

 

But back to the original topic...

 

 

i read in doing right that communicable disease IS reportable.

[Dal07]

I found these guidelines on the Health Canada site (pg 19 - 20):

 

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/std-mts/sti_2006/pdf/02sti2006_e.pdf

 

For some STI's (like herpes), whether or not you have to report seems to depend on which province you live in. For others it's mandatory across the country.

[chino]

Btw, I think the lowere the legal age of consent so for the statutory rape question i think 14 is the new age of consent, could someone please confirm this

[mrgreek]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_of_consent_in_North_America#Canada

 

looks like it was changed from 14 to 16 now, as of this month

[bcgirl33]

Word. Don't forget you can get gonorrhea from a toilet seat too

 

ummmmm it's POSSIBLE... as in it may be possible to jump onto a moving train from a helicopter ... but it's not LIKELY at all. In fact, it is one of the most common myths about STIs that continues to be perpetuated despite much literature to the contrary.

 

The infected individual would have had to drip discharge containing the gonorrhea onto the toilet seat where the next person directly placed their genitals. And there would have to be a sufficient amount of discharge for the bacteria to not only survive but also enter the unknowing persons genital tissue. Toilet seats are not designed to trap and pool discharge and the chances of this occuring are slim to none. But don't take my word on it: toilet seats are not credited as as legitimate route for transmission of gonnorhea by Health Canada or the BC Centre for Disease Control. Pubic lice (crabs or infestations) are a different case and can be transmitted through bedding or clothes.