Chapter 2. Prenatal Syphilis Tests of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 105. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 2.

"Approved laboratory" as used in this chapter means a laboratory approved by the department, or any other laboratory whose director is licensed by the department according to law.

"Standard laboratory blood test" as used in this chapter means a test for syphilis approved by the department.

Every licensed physician and surgeon or other person engaged in prenatal care of a pregnant woman, or attending the woman at the time of delivery, shall obtain or cause to be obtained a blood specimen of the woman at the time of the first professional visit or within 10 days thereafter.

The blood specimen thus obtained shall be submitted to an approved laboratory for a standard laboratory test for syphilis.

In submitting a specimen to a laboratory the physician shall designate it as a prenatal test or a test following recent delivery.

The laboratory shall submit the laboratory reports of records to the department as are required by regulation of the department. The health officer may destroy any copies of reports that have been retained by him or her pursuant to this section for a period of two years.

All laboratory reports are confidential, and are not open to public inspection.

In case of question concerning the accuracy of a test required by this chapter, it is mandatory upon the department to accept specimens for checking purposes from any district in the state.

Any licensed physician and surgeon, or other person engaged in attendance upon a pregnant woman or a recently delivered woman, or any representative of a laboratory who violates any provision of this chapter, is guilty of a misdemeanor. However, a licensed physician and surgeon, or other person engaged in attendance upon a pregnant or recently delivered woman, whose request for a specimen is refused, is not guilty of a misdemeanor for failure to obtain it.