Final answer:
The privacy rule under HIPAA usually allows providers to disclose patient information only to individuals or entities involved in their care, or as specified by law exceptions. Unauthorized disclosure, such as contacting a sexual partner without consent, typically violates privacy rights unless there's a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
Step-by-step explanation:
The privacy rule, a component of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), generally dictates that providers may disclose patient information only to the individual themselves, to individuals or organizations involved in the patient's care or payment for care, or for purposes specified as exceptions within the law (such as public health issues). In the context of contacting a patient's sexual partner without the patient’s consent, this action is typically considered a violation of HIPAA regulations as it would likely lead to the unauthorized disclosure of the patient's diagnosis, compromising their privacy rights.
However, HIPAA does have provisions that address situations where the disclosure of information is necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public, which could potentially be invoked in scenarios concerning serious communicable diseases. Hence, the ethical dilemma often discussed in healthcare is balancing these privacy rights with the public's right to protection from harm.