HOUSE MEMORIAL 86

54th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2019

INTRODUCED BY

William B. Pratt and Sheryl Williams Stapleton

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE DIVISION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO STUDY EXTENDING THE HARM REDUCTION ACT.

     WHEREAS, the purpose of the Harm Reduction Act is to prevent the transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B and C viruses and other blood-borne diseases; and

     WHEREAS, at this time, the implementation of the Harm Reduction Act focuses mainly on illnesses transmitted by blood, but not by other means such as sexual activity; and

     WHEREAS, sexually transmitted infections include the human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B and C viruses as well as the hepatitis A virus, chlamydia, gonorrhea, antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea, syphilis, human papillomavirus and others; and

     WHEREAS, the effects of sexually transmitted infections include chronic illness, infertility, cancer, compromised childbirth and death; and

     WHEREAS, early detection of sexually transmitted infections allows improved access to treatment, early intervention and efficient use of resources, and clinical diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections can be followed by appropriate and timely treatment; and

     WHEREAS, medically marginalized or unserved populations are the most at risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections; and

     WHEREAS, for many medically marginalized or unserved individuals, the struggle to find food, shelter, clothing and safety are immediate priorities, while sexually transmitted infections go untreated; and

     WHEREAS, sexually transmitted infections often result in a long chain of infection by being transmitted to others, including spouses and family members; and

     WHEREAS, most marginalized or unserved patients do not receive treatment to reduce the risk of additional infections themselves or to reduce the risk of transmitting infections to others; and

     WHEREAS, breaking the cycle of disease among all populations is a worthy effort to be pursued by state officials; and

     WHEREAS, it is in society's best interests to protect the public health by reducing disease among all populations through prevention and prophylaxis; and

     WHEREAS, medically marginalized or unserved at-risk populations often do not have access to contraception; and

     WHEREAS, unplanned pregnancies in medically marginalized or unserved at-risk populations frequently result in infants being placed in foster care; and

     WHEREAS, the breaking apart of the family unit harms not only parents and children, but communities and the state as well; and

     WHEREAS, an extension of the Harm Reduction Act could provide a systematic way of identifying patients with sexually transmitted diseases, monitoring their progress and ensuring that the patients receive appropriate care to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the division of infectious diseases of the university of New Mexico school of medicine be requested to convene a task force to study extending the Harm Reduction Act to include offering sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment and contraception to people of medically marginalized or unserved at-risk populations; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be requested to:

          A. evaluate New Mexico's current approaches to promoting public health among medically marginalized or unserved at-risk populations and how those approaches may be improved;

          B. facilitate and support implementation of the task force's recommendations for extending the Harm Reduction Act by the department of health;

          C. develop strategy recommendations for effective community outreach and education;

          D. develop facilities and resource recommendations to improve delivery of sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment and the delivery of contraception in New Mexico; and

          E. develop policy and procedural recommendations to the department of health's harm reduction program to successfully implement the task force's recommendations; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be requested to evaluate New Mexico's current approach to promoting public health and to providing sexually transmitted infection prevention and the provision of contraception to people of medically marginalized or unserved at-risk populations; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be requested to study ways to determine the potential impacts of an expansion of the Harm Reduction Act on medically marginalized or unserved at-risk populations; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force include representatives from the division of infectious diseases and the department of family and community medicine at the university of New Mexico school of medicine, the department of health, street safe New Mexico and from the harm reduction staffs at Albuquerque healthcare for the homeless, first nations community healthsource and the transgender resource center of New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this task force be requested to invite additional task force members to recruit greater statewide representation, including physicians and representatives from the sub-specialties of public health and infectious disease and self-advocates; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force present its findings and recommendations to the appropriate interim legislative committees by October 1, 2019; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the secretary of health, the secretary of general services, the secretary of public safety, the chief of the division of infectious diseases at the university of New Mexico school of medicine, the program director of the department of family and community medicine at the university of New Mexico school of medicine, the executive director of street safe New Mexico, the chief executive director of Albuquerque healthcare for the homeless, the president of first nations community healthsource, the co-directors of the transgender resource center of New Mexico and the chair of the legislative health and human services committee.

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