Chapter 8: Ethical and Legal Aspects of AIDS

Florida Supreme Court

Florida Supreme Court

The ________ has recognised the damaging effect of such disclosure of confidential information on public health policy by deterrence.

Immunodeficiency

________ is the hallmark of AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

the unexpected appearance of opportunistic infections and an aggressive form of Kaposis sarcoma amongst apparently healthy homosexual men and intravenous drug abusers, heralded in 1981

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

The unexpected appearance of opportunistic infections and an aggressive form of Kaposi’s sarcoma amongst apparently healthy homosexual men and intravenous drug abusers, heralded in 1981.

British Medical Council

The _____ has passed a resolution in 1991 that no physician shall undertake mandatory testing of blood unless expressed consent has been given by the patient.

British Medical Council

The _______ sought to reinforce the view held earlier by medical experts in the UK that there is little justification in law for disclosing to an employer that an employee has AIDS or is HIV positive.

Medical confidentiality

________ has been statutorily recognized in several US federal laws. They offer privacy protections to public health records containing HIV-related information.

Section 4

______ of the AIDS bill mandates every registered physician to report each case of an HIV-positive patient to the health authorities, but does not provide a confidentiality clause.

Section 7

This section requires health authorities to undertake counseling, health education, and specialized treatment. But this is of no avail if confidentiality is not guaranteed.

Section 5

This section talks of precautionary measures to curb the spread of disease.

Section 5(c)

This section suggests removing the patient to a hospital or such other place “for special care”, all at the direction of the health authority.

Mandatory testing & Isolation of infected victims

The isolationist response is adopted by Cuba and Romania and includes two specific features: