HIV Disclosure and HCP with a Border: An Ethical Issue

Abstract

The health care providers are always obligated to code of ethics for honoring professionalism and sustaining high standards in their practice. Veracity and confidentiality are strictly obligatory for health care professionals in virtue and medical ethics. Veracity is not only the part of virtue ethics but also it is our professional and moral obligation to always remain truthful in practice and as well as in our daily life. But, it becomes very difficult for health care providers to maintain confidentiality, giving respect to patient autonomy, and speaking truth in the case where patients one diagnosed with stigmatized disorders such as AIDS, where we have to save the society by applying the concept of utilitarianism. This paper analyzes such complex conditions in which there is an ethical dilemma occurred between patient’s autonomy to maintain his confidentiality of positive HIV and tell a lie to patient’s wife. This situation put many questions in the HCP’s mind. Such as: is it right to respect patient’s autonomy which can put patient’s surrounding at risk? Is it moral obligation of the HCP to tell a lie? Or is it best solution if the HCP maintain patient’s confidentiality?