This act gives specific rights to one or both California marriage license applicants at the time they are applying for a California marriage license to choose and list on the marriage license a new middle or last name that they will use after marriage.

While maintaining good health habits will not guarantee a longer life, it will certainly improve the quality of life. An annual checkup with a health care provider, regular exercise, and a balanced diet help decrease the risk of illness and enrich life: For more about health across the lifespan, visit Let’s Get Healthy California (letsgethealthy.ca.gov).

Some health problems are passed down in families from parents to children through genes. They are called “genetic” conditions. You should know which genetic conditions are in your and your partnerʼs family history if you plan to have children together. You can check for some genetic conditions and birth defects. For more information, talk to your health care provider, a genetic counselor, or visit the Genetic Disease Screening Program (www.cdph.ca.gov/GDSP) or the California Prenatal Screening Program (www.cdph.ca.gov/PNS).

Pregnant individuals can get voluntary prenatal screening to check the health of their fetus for birth defects through the California Prenatal Screening Program (www.cdph.ca.gov/PNS). All California newborns receive routine screening for over 80 genetic conditions between 12 and 48 hours after birth through the California Newborn Screening Program (www.cdph.ca.gov/NBS).

Domestic violence is more than just a disagreement. It is abusive behavior that can be physical, emotional, psychological, or sexual. Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior used to gain power and control over an intimate partner or spouse. Physical violence does not need to happen for a relationship to be abusive. If you need emergency help, call 911 or the police immediately. Visit or call: National Domestic Violence Hotline (www.ndvh.org), 1-800-799-SAFE (7233); 1-800-787-3224 (TYY) or National Sexual Assault Hotline (http://www.rainn.org); 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

CDPHʼs Office of AIDS (www.cdph.ca.gov/AIDS) provides comprehensive prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services for sexually transmitted diseases, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, and HIV. HIV is the virus that causes HIV disease and AIDS. Everyone who has HIV has HIV disease, including people with AIDS. Drugs are available that can help people with HIV and AIDS live long and healthy lives. HIV is passed through unsafe sex, contact with blood from a person infected with HIV, and drinking breast milk from a person infected with HIV. A person who has been infected with HIV may also pass it on to a baby during pregnancy or delivery. You can get a confidential HIV test from your doctorʼs office, clinic, or county health department. For information on getting an HIV test​ (https://www.hivtest.org) or call 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636).

CDPH’s Division of Communicable Disease Control (DCDC) identifies, prevents, and controls infectious diseases that pose a threat to public health. Visit our COVID-19 website for the latest information and resources on COVID-19.​​
​​
​
​

​
​
​
​
​
​