Cook County Department of Public Health

Sexually Transmitted Infections/Sexually Transmitted Diseases

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Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are diseases that are spread through anal, oral or vaginal intercourse.  Some STIs such as HIV and Hepatitis B can also be transmitted by sharing drug injection equipment.

• Fact Sheets

  STI Publications

• Information for Providers

  • If your office is unable to locate a patient who needs treatment for an STI, please call us at (708) 633-8030.
  • Every physician licensed under the provisions of the Illinois Medical Practice Act shall report each case in which the physician has clinically diagnosed or treated a case of AIDS, HIV infection, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, chancroid or opthalmia neonatorum, or received a reportable STI laboratory result. A hospital may, at the request of the physician of a person who has been admitted to the hospital, submit the physician's report to the appropriate health authority through the identifiers established disease-reporting mechanism.

  Please contact STI Program for official materials, at 708-633-8030.

  In all cases, the physician is responsible for ensuring that reporting is accomplished:

  • The STI case report shall be mailed within seven days after such diagnosis or treatment. The STI laboratory report shall be mailed within seven days after receipt of the laboratory results.
  • If the subject of the test is under 12 years of age, any reactive or positive test results shall be reported to the Illinois Department of Public Health by telephone immediately or as soon as Department business hours permit at 217-782-2747 for all STI test results other than HIV/AIDS.

  • Syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, chancroid and opthalmia neonatorum cases and laboratory reports in cities having a population of 500,000 or more shall be made on a form furnished by the Local Health Authority (Morbidity Form). In all other cases, the report shall be made on a form furnished by the Department. The report shall state the name, address and telephone number of the physician, the date of the report, as well as the following information, as available:

    • The individual's name, address, telephone number, age, birthdate, race/ethnicity, sex, marital status and pregnancy status.
    • The diagnosis, diagnostic classification and any laboratory findings.
    • The amount and type of treatment, including preventive treatment, that the individual is receiving, has received or will receive and whether treatment has been completed.
    • The type of treatment facility.

• Information for Laboratories

  The Department has determined that the following shall be considered reportable STI laboratory results:

  1. A serologic test for antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is reactive on two or more enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests and on one confirmatory Western blot assay test or Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test (see 77 Ill. Adm. Code 697.100(b)).
  2. A serologic test for syphilis, either presumptive or confirmatory, which is weakly reactive, reactive or positive.
  3. A test for gonorrhea or chlamydia, such as the smear, culture, ELISA or molecular probe (amplified and non-amplified) test, which test is reactive or positive.
  4. A CD4+ count with an absolute result of less than 200 CD4+ lymphocytes per microliter or a relative value of less than 14% of total lymphocytes, the levels specified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for defining AIDS.

  Please contact STI Program for official materials, at 708-633-8030.