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Abstract

Problems posed by HIV/AIDS differ from those of past epidemics by virtue of unique properties of the causative agent, dramatic societal changes of the late 20th century, and the transition of medical practice from a professional ethic to a technology-dependent business ethic. HIV/AIDS struck during the coming-of-age of molecular biology and also of bioethics, and the epidemic stimulated the growth of both disciplines. The number of articles published about AIDS and ethics (as identified by a MEDLINE search) peaked in 1990, just before the peak incidence of AIDS in the United States. The character of ethical dialogue has now shifted from familiar moral quandaries such as civil liberty versus public welfare to concerns about vaccine trials and public policy toward the developing world. Physicians and other health care workers who were involved from the onset endured something of an emotional roller coaster. Their compassion-based work ethic was to a large extent replaced by a competence-based work ethic after the introduction in 1996 of highly active antiretroviral therapy. The abundant recent literature on "professionalism" in medicine makes scant mention of AIDS/HIV. The disruptive effect of AIDS/HIV on society would have been substantially greater had relevant technology such as the ability to isolate retroviruses and potent therapy against tuberculosis not been in place. This sobering consideration, along with such recent events as the use of bioterrorism against civilian populations, suggests new relevance for Potter's definition of "bioethics" as a science of survival in which the biology of ecosystems must be taken into account.

Stigmatization, discrimination, violation of autonomy and compromised confidentiality: Lived experiences of people living with HIV on the onset of their illness in Turkey

“…As a continuing community health problem (1), the disease has occasionally been a topic of discussion on the public agenda in terms of the problems faced by people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) while trying to access healthcare services and facing HIVrelated discrimination and stigma. In time, such attempts have paved the way to restructure public health policies to a certain extent (2,3). Nevertheless, the ethically unjustifiable cases that persevere to this day have caused the debates on attitudes towards people living with HIV (PLWH) to gain an ethical dimension.…”

Análise do atendimento nos serviços de saúde entre pessoas vivendo com HIV/AIDS

“…Contudo, a Associação Médica Americana (AMA) e outras associações de profissões da área da saúde determinaram que os profissionais por elas representados têm a obrigação ética de administrar cuidados a esses pacientes, desde que suas necessidades se enquadrem em suas áreas de competência 17 . Acrescente-se que, em todos os Códigos de Ética dos profissionais de saúde, existem imposições legais que condenam práticas discriminatórias no exercício profissional.…”