NEUROLOGY AND HIV-INFECTION AIDS - ETHICAL ISSUES

Human immunodeficiency virus infection raises ethical issues in medical practice. This work presents several problems with ethical connotations related to HIV infections, observed by a neurologist during his medical practice. Patient-physician relationships, confidentiality, the request of patient consent to perform diagnostic procedures and reports to third parties are analyzed. The need for education and patient counseling about risk factors for infections is emphasized. Some features of clinical research in HIV infection such as the urging by the patients to simplify study protocols and limit sample sizes in clinical trials, are mentioned. Finally the possible solutions to these problems are discussed.