I took a Sociology class 'Society and Health' and this was a big ethical debate. I think most people are ignorant when it comes to HIV/AIDS, so if you are please don't comment but I would like to hear your opinion, would you go to this doctor? Should they tell their patience? Should they be allowed to practice? I am not sure I have an opinion or an answer.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
PostSecret of the Week
I took a Sociology class 'Society and Health' and this was a big ethical debate. I think most people are ignorant when it comes to HIV/AIDS, so if you are please don't comment but I would like to hear your opinion, would you go to this doctor? Should they tell their patience? Should they be allowed to practice? I am not sure I have an opinion or an answer.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
I would go to my doctor even if I found out that he was HIV positive. I'm sure that they would use the ultimate caution to make sure that nothing happened that would jeopardize their patients. I don't think they should even necessarily be required to tell anybody. But I'm not sure. I don't know that I would go to just some random doctor that I don't know who I knew was HIV positive. But if you know someone and you trust someone enough to be your doctor for a long time, then I wouldn't see any problem with continuing to go to them if they were diagnosed with that. If you trust them, you would trust that they wouldn't continue to be your doctor if they were worried in any way of passing that on to you.
But that is really rough. What a devastating and heartbreaking situation.
hi! i linked to your blog from the sadie olive blog...lucky you! =)
i was a nurse (pre-kids!) and although we always tactfully and carefully passed onto the next nurse if a patient was HIV +, we actually couldn't put them under any special precautions. we handle them the same as any other patient--standard precautions. because this virus is passed on the same as 1000s of others--through bodily secretions--we take the same precautions as any other patient.
sooo...i don't see the purpose of a physician having to tell his patients. any person that you do trust to be your physician would always take the standard precautions neccessary if he had HIV or not.
think of all healthcare workers...that would not be fair for them to have to tell all patients their personal medical history.
wow...that's a long comment!! i'm going to browse the rest of your blog now...your 1st post was interesting! =)
someone's medical history, in my opinion, is their own business. you cannot transmit HIV to another person by talking to them, touching them, or giving them a medical examination. for me, its a non-issue.
I agree that your diseases are your business. I don't think having cancer or HIV makes anyone dumber. I want my doctor to wear gloves when they are probing me anyway. I don't think I can get HIV from someone breathing the same air I do. If they have a cut or some other "condition" that is a hazard, they can call off that day, or double up on those gloves man.
I love this thought provoking post!
I agree with what other have said as well. While not ideal (certainly not for them), there is minimal risk (if any) in receiving care from someone with HIV.
I believe that it is everyone's personal right to keep their medical history private. Imagine if we all had to wear shirts emblazoned with ours?! ...A little too "Scarlet Letter" for me!
Anyhow... thanks for making me think.
xox
Ez
thank you all for the comments- i agree with them especially Ez. Its just not ideal but I believe in privacy.
Post a Comment