Site Changes

On 1 November 2010 the Office of the Privacy Commissioner was integrated into the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and a new website established at www.oaic.gov.au.

Note 1: Major changes to the Privacy Act 1988 will come into effect in March 2014. Agencies, businesses and not for profits need to start preparing for these changes. For more information go to our privacy law reform page at www.oaic.gov.au
Note 2: From 12 March 2013 content is no longer being added to, or amended, on this site, consequently some information may be out of date. For new privacy content visit the www.oaic.gov.au website.

Can my doctor share my genetic information without my consent?

Generally, information about your health such as test results and diagnoses must not be given to anyone else without your consent. However, in special circumstances, it may be given to someone else without consent.

The Privacy Act allows a doctor to inform a patient's genetic relatives that there is a genetic condition in the family without the patient's consent, if:

the particular disease poses a serious threat to genetic relatives
the information would be necessary and effective in reducing harm caused by the disease and
the disclosure is made in line with guidelines issued under section 95AA of the Privacy Act.

For more information on the guidelines, see Health and genetic information.

Related FAQ

I received a letter from a doctor which says I might be at risk of inheriting a genetic disease. How did the doctor get my contact details?