Duty to treat or right to refuse? (physician treatment of HIV-positive patients)

Duty to Treat or Right to Refuse?

Although AIDS is novel, one of the moral problem it poses is not: Do physicians and other health care workers have a moral duty to treat HIV patients despite the risks of contagion? This question was thrust into public consciousness in the late 1980s. A world-famous heart surgeon proclaimed that he would not operate on HIV-positive patients; and Dr. Lorraine Day, an orthopedic surgeon in San Francisco, loudly protested in the newspapers and on TV the high risks she faced. [1] The question became real for me when a dinner I was enjoying with Peter, a surgeon, was interrupted by a phone call asking him to operate on a patient with a ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

See all results. Or, try our Advanced Search.

Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 60 million articles! Access over 3,500 publications with a FREE trial!