MFHS President & CEO Maria Montoro Edwards Commends Governor Wolf for Signing Senate Bill 317 – The Expedited Partner Therapy Act – Into Law

Wilkes-Barre, PA – November 4, 2022: On Thursday, Governor Wolf signed Senate Bill 317 – The Expedited Partner Therapy Act into law in Pennsylvania. Maternal and Family Health Services (MFHS) released the following statement from President & CEO Maria Montoro Edwards:

“Maternal and Family Health Services commends the Pennsylvania General Assembly and Governor Wolf for the passage of Senate Bill 317 – the Expedited Partner Therapy Act. This law will increase access to expedited partner therapy (EPT), an evidence-based, cost-effective method of reducing community spread of STDs by removing barriers to care.

EPT is a public health practice that helps reduce STD rates, particularly among adolescents and young adults, by increasing access to safe and effective STD treatment. Effective clinical management of patients with treatable STDs requires treatment of the patients’ current partners to prevent reinfection and further transmission. EPT allows the patient to deliver extra medication or a prescription to their partner if they are unable or unwilling to seek direct medical care on their own.

Prescription treatments for these common STDs are safe and effective. While we encourage anyone who learns that their partner has tested positive for an STD to make their own appointment for medical care, getting treatment to reduce transmission and help mitigate serious health concerns is of the utmost importance and something EPT helps accomplish.

Establishing into law Senate Bill 317, which specifically authorizes EPT and removes regulatory barriers to the use of EPT, facilitates increased uptake. Pennsylvania has STD rates that have been steadily rising, and this new law is an important step forward to reduce transmission and help mitigate serious health concerns through increased access to care.

MFHS’ mission is to meet the needs of our community through information, education and quality care. This new law is a critical step forward to increasing access to STD treatment and the quality care Pennsylvanians deserve.”

– Maria Montoro Edwards,- PhD, President & CEO

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Maternal and Family Health Services is a non-profit health and human service organization working to improve the health of Pennsylvania women and children by offering programs that prevent disease, promote wellness, and empower individuals to make healthy lifestyle choices. The agency oversees a network of health and nutrition centers in 17 Pennsylvania counties serving nearly 90,000 individuals each year through the following core programs: WIC Nutrition Program, Family Planning Program, Nurse-Family Partnership, the SafeTeens Initiative, and the Healthy Beginnings Plus Prenatal Program.  For more information, call 1-800-367-6347, or visit www.mfhs.org.