A new Montana Senate Bill, HB 136, passed this month. The Governor signed HB 136 on March 7, 2019, into law with an immediate effective date. HB 136 removes the requirement for a blood test for women, prior to marriage, to determine if they are immune to rubella.
According to the prior law, a couple seeking a marriage license would first have to have a doctor certify that the woman had been tested for rubella or was exempt from testing on medical grounds.
Rubella, also called German Measles and Three-Day Measles, is a contagious disease that can affect anyone, but mostly it affects children. Symptoms can low-grade fever, sore throat, and a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body, according the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is usually mild in children, with some not even knowing that they are affected. However, Rubella can be more serious in pregnant women and can cause health problems such as miscarriage and death.
By Danielle Nason