NCJ Number
126516
Date Published
1989
Length
92 pages
Annotation
The issues of treatment of HIV infection and AIDS including diagnosis and testing of patients are major areas for legal and public policy analysis.
Abstract
Development of policies for HIV antibody testing pose a number of difficult issues which are exacerbated by questions about the reliability of these tests particularly when administered to individuals in low risk populations. Additionally, there are issues about the necessity of informed consent prior to HIV related testing, as well as the nature of required confidentiality. The danger of HIV infection of health care workers exposed to infected material has given rise to safety regulations required to be enforced in health care institutions. Fear of infection has given rise to litigation involving employees who refuse to treat or work with HIV infected material. A related area of litigation has involved an effort on the part of administrations of health care institutions to place limits on the activities of HIV infected physicians and other health care workers. The neurological and psychiatric effects by HIV infection are creating special problems for the mental health system which are only now being confronted.