- (d) as required under the provisions of section 9;
- (e) if it relates to statistical or other information of a person that could not reasonably be expected to lead to the identification of that person; and
- (f) to the officers of the Central Government or the State Government or State AIDS Control Society of the concerned State Government, as the case may be, for the purposes of monitoring, evaluation or supervision.
Disclosure of HIV-positive status to partner of HIV-positive person. 9. (1) No healthcare provider, except a physician or a counsellor, shall disclose the HIV-positive status of a person to his or her partner.
(2) A healthcare provider, who is a physician or counsellor, may disclose the HIV positive status of a person under his direct care to his or her partner, if such healthcare provider—
- (a) reasonably believes that the partner is at the significant risk of transmission
of HIV from such person; and
- (b) such HIV-positive person has been counselled to inform such partner; and
- (c) is satisfied that the HIV-positive person will not inform such partner; and
- (d) has informed the HIV-positive person of the intention to disclose the HIV positive status to such partner:
Provided that disclosure under this sub-section to the partner shall be made in person after counselling:
Provided further that such healthcare provider shall have no obligation to identify or locate the partner of an HIV-positive person:
Provided also that such healthcare provider shall not inform the partner of a woman where there is a reasonable apprehension that such information may result in violence, abandonment or actions which may have a severe negative effect on the physical or mental health or safety of such woman, her children, her relatives or someone who is close to her.
(3) The healthcare provider under sub-section (1) shall not be liable for any criminal or civil action for any disclosure or non-disclosure of confidential HIV-related information made to a partner under this section.
Duty to prevent transmission of HIV. 10. Every person, who is HIV-positive and has been counselled in accordance with the guidelines issued or is aware of the nature of HIV and its transmission, shall take all reasonable precautions to prevent the transmission of HIV to other persons which may include adopting strategies for the reduction of risk or informing in advance his HIV status before any sexual contact with any person or with whom needles are shared with:
Provided that the provisions of this section shall not be applicable to prevent transmission through a sexual contact in the case of a woman, where there is a reasonable apprehension that such information may result in violence, abandonment or actions which may have a severe negative effect on the physical or mental health or safety of such woman, her children, her relatives or someone who is close to her.
CHAPTER V
OBLIGATION OF ESTABLISHMENTS
Confidentiality of data. 11. Every establishment keeping the records of HIV-related information of protected persons shall adopt data protection measures in accordance with the guidelines to ensure that such information is protected from disclosure.
Explanation.— For the purpose of this section, data protection measures shall include procedures for protecting information from disclosure, procedures for accessing information, provision for security systems to protect the information stored in any form and mechanisms to ensure accountability and liability of persons in the establishment.
