HIV and AIDS Case Reporting
It is mandatory for healthcare providers and laboratories to report new cases and subsequent labs tests of HIV and AIDS within seven (7) days: Georgia statute identifies HIV infection (any stage), progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and perinatal HIV exposure as conditions of public health importance that require reporting to public health officials. Prompt reporting of HIV and AIDS cases is critical for monitoring the health of communities in Georgia, connecting individuals with HIV to care resources, and informing the development of HIV prevention and care programs.
For details on the laws related to public health reporting, and the security and confidentiality of HIV data, see the HIV Epidemiology Unit homepage. For more information on notifiable disease reporting in Georgia, see Disease Reporting.
- Key information to report includes: the patient’s name (first and last), date of birth, phone number, address, demographics (sex at birth, race and ethnicity, gender identity), pregnancy status, HIV transmission category, vital status, ARV information and start date, and any comorbidities (e.g., STI co-infection) or opportunistic infections.
- Additional requested information is explained in the report forms. This allows for complete and accurate data, as well as minimizing duplicate reports and the need to follow up with healthcare providers for additional information.
The below directions explain how to report HIV and AIDS as a healthcare provider or a laboratory.
Reporting HIV and AIDS as a Healthcare Provider
According to Georgia's notifiable disease reporting law, healthcare facilities providing HIV care and testing must report within seven (7) days any:
- new patients to their facility (including referrals),
- current/previous patient demographic updates (change of address, name, and/or gender),
- new clinical status (new AIDS status or AIDS defining illnesses),
- pregnancy status (for new diagnoses or any person positive for HIV who becomes pregnant), or
- perinatal HIV exposure (infant whose mother has tested positive for HIV regardless of if the infant’s HIV status is known; all labs from birth to 18 months must be reported and a Pediatric Case Report Form completed).
Healthcare providers can report through the 3 mechanisms below:
1. Report Online Through SendSS: Preferred method
All HIV cases and Perinatal Exposures can be reported via he secure disease reporting system called SendSS (State Electronic Notifiable Disease Surveillance System).
Adult cases (≥13 years of age) using an electronic Adult Case Report Form (eACRF). Please review the eACRF Tutorial for guidance on how to fill out the online form.
Pediatric cases (<13 years of age) and Perinatal Exposures (birth to 18 months) can be reported electronically through the electronic Pediatric Case Report Form (ePCRF) (coming soon for pediatric and perinatal exposure cases). Please review the ePCRF Tutorial for guidance on how to fill out the online form.
Providers must have a SendSS authorized user account to submit eCRFs. To create a SendSS authorized user account, complete the Registration Form and select “HIV USER” in the “Access Required” section.
Electronic Forms
- Adult Cases (≥13 years)
SENDSS ePCRF - (Tutorial coming soon)
- Pediatric Cases (<13 years)
- Perinatal HIV Exposure Reporting (birth to 18 months):
2. Report By Mail, eFax, or Phone:
If providers are unable to submit a case report through SendSS, they can call the HIV Epidemiology Unit at 1-800-827-9769, eFax at 404-506-9297, or mail the below paper reports to the Georgia Department of Public Health using the following address.
Please double envelope all mail and do NOT write HIV or AIDS or any PII (personally identifiable information) on the envelope.
For eFax, please include a cover page for “HIV Core Surveillance”.
Mailing Address
Georgia Department of Public Health
Epidemiology Section
P.O. Box 2107
Atlanta, GA 30301
eFax
404-506-9297
Phone Number
Providers who only have a few cases to report can call the HIV Epidemiology Unit at:
1-800-827-9769
Paper Forms
Adult Case Report Form (ACRF) -
- Adult Cases (≥13 years)
- Pediatric Cases (<13 years)
- Perinatal HIV Exposure Reporting (birth to 18 months)
Reporting HIV as a Laboratory
According to Georgia's notifiable disease reporting law, laboratories are required to report all tests indicative of HIV infection including screening, diagnosis, and monitoring. Reports should be made within seven (7) days. These include:
- Positive antigen or antibody tests,
- Supplemental tests to confirm infection (e.g., type differentiating tests): always report positives, and report negatives when part of a testing sequence that confirms infection (acute),
- Positive HIV nucleic acid (RNA or DNA) tests,
- All HIV viral load tests (detectable and undetectable),
- All CD4 counts and percentages,
- All HIV nucleotide sequence/genotype results (i.e., antiviral drug resistance testing),
- Positive EIAs and Western blots, and
- As part of perinatal HIV exposure reporting, laboratories are also required to submit all HIV viral NAT/NAAT testing (regardless of results) for infants less than 18 months of age. This includes qualitative RNA tests.
Laboratories can report through the 2 mechanisms below:
1. Reporting Lab Tests Through Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR): Preferred method
The Georgia HIV Epidemiology Unit prefers to process electronic lab reports. We accept files in the HL7 standard (versions 2.3.1 and 2.5.1). These files can be transmitted to DPH through SendSS.
To set up the ELR process, contact Lauren Barrineau-Vejjajiva, Assistant Data Manager ([email protected]) with the volume and types of lab results you wish to report. She will then work with the IT team to create your SendSS account, and if necessary, the HL7 connection. This same connection can be used to report all notifiable diseases.
For assistance with the HL7 standard for electronic lab reporting please contact Patrick Pitcher ([email protected]).
2. Reporting Lab Tests by Mail or eFax:
If laboratories are unable to submit lab tests electronically through SendSS, they can mail results to DPH using the following address or send them via eFax. Please double envelope all mail and do NOT write HIV or AIDS or any PII (personally identifiable information) on the envelope. For eFax, please include a cover page for “HIV Core Surveillance”.
Mailing Address
Georgia Department of Public Health
Epidemiology Section
P.O. Box 2107
Atlanta, GA 30301
eFax
404-506-9297
More Information
SendSS Support: For assistance with an existing account or follow-up on a new user account request, please email SENDSS Support at [email protected].
Page last updated 5/21/2025