Senate approves revised version of STD bill

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. —
A proposed law on its way to the governor's desk would allow some people with sexually transmitted diseases to treat themselves with an antibiotic, even if they don't seek medical treatment.Under the practice, called "expedited partner therapy," medical professionals who treat an individual for gonorrhea or chlamydia also may give the patient a single-dose antibiotic to pass along to his or her sexual partner. The idea is to prevent partners from re-infecting one another after one of them seeks medical attention. Expedited partner therapy will curb the spread of STDs, which have become a growing problem in Peoria and elsewhere in Illinois, said Sen. David Koehler, D- Peoria, who is the bill's sponsor.But an opponent, Sen. Dave Syverson, R- Rockford, believes antibiotics shouldn't be made available to anyone who hasn't visited a physician or another medical professional. He said he's particularly worried about how the measure would affect young people."This legislation would allow teen-agers – 13, 14, 15 – to get drugs and go out and give them to their sexual partners. The concern is it sends the wrong message, that this somehow addresses the issue of sexual diseases," Syverson said. "I think everyone ought should see a medical professional so they can at least get the warnings of those kinds of activities, especially for these young kids."Syverson was one of three senators to vote against the legislation, Senate Bill 212, on Wednesday. It passed on a 54-3 roll call. An earlier version of the legislation passed in the Senate earlier this year. But the House of Representatives revised the measure before approving it, a move that required the Senate to sign off on the changes before sending the bill to Gov. Pat Quinn. With his signature, the bill would become law.One of the House revisions spells out that health-care professionals who choose not to provide expedited partner therapy may not be penalized for that decision.