The Department of Health and Environmental Control is hereby authorized to initiate a sickle cell education and prevention program based entirely upon voluntary cooperation of the individuals involved. The program shall provide:

1. (1) laboratory testing of citizens in the reproductive ages to determine the presence of the sickle cell gene;
2. (2) counselling for persons identified as carriers of the sickle cell gene, for the purpose of educating these persons about the risk of a child of the person inheriting sickle cell disease;
3. (3) referral of persons with sickle cell disease, as necessary, so that they may obtain proper medical care and treatment, to include pain management; and
4. (4) basic education to the general public about sickle cell disease, so as to eradicate the stigma attached to the disease.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 32-562; 1972 (57) 3013; 2022 Act No. 206 (H.3166), Section 2, eff May 23, 2022.

Effect of Amendment

2022 Act No. 206, Section 2, redesignated (a) to (d) as (1) to (4); in (1), substituted "citizens" for "black citizens"; in (2), substituted "educating these persons about the risk of a child of the person inheriting sickle cell disease" for "preventing sickle cell anemia in the future offspring of such carriers"; in (3), substituted "disease" for "anemia" and inserted ", to included pain management; and" at the end; in (4), substituted "the disease" for "this malady"; and made nonsubstantive changes throughout.