please I need long answers any taped The AIDS virus and the nature of its transm
ID: 139994 • Letter: P
Question
please I need long answers any taped
The AIDS virus and the nature of its transmission raise a number of ethical problems and questions for health care workers. One of these is when to violate the principle of confidentiality. Reflect on the information about the virus and ethical problems surrounding it
"I know Ben Therman is HIV positive," Dr. Tad Knowles said. "He's been in therapy with me for almost five years, and he tells me about his viral load. Ben got the virus from a dirty needle when he was an IV drug user, but he's been clean since he was diagnosed."
"He didn't tell Margo any of that," Dr. Susan Thomas said. "She's been my patient for two years, and he's the first man she's had sex with in that time. I asked her if she'd checked out Ben, and she said she'd been too embarrassed. Besides, he was so wonderful, she was sure he would have told her if he had HIV."
"Oh, brother," Dr. Knowles said. "Margo needs to know, so she can get tested and start taking drugs if she's HIV positive."
"So what should we do about this, Tad?"
What conflict of duties do Drs. Knowles and Dr. Thomas face?
Does Dr. Knowles have a duty to keep the information confidential when what he knows about Ben might help save Margo's life?
Explanation / Answer
About HIV:
Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a single stranded RNA virus which is the causal agent of Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It affects the immune system and hence directly invades helper T-cells and macrophages. This virus is transmitted through sexual contact or blood contact. The virus may remain inactive for about 8-10 years after incorporating its genetic material to host DNA
Conflict of duties faced by Drs. Knowles and Dr. Thomas:
Dr. Knowles and Dr. Thomas are the medical guides of Margo and Ben respectively. Margo and Ben have been in sexual relationship once. At that time, Ben who was HIV positive did not tell Margo. As HIV gets transmitted through sexual contact, Margo is at risk of developing the HIV infections
Dr. Thomas has an ethical duty towards Ben i.e. to keep his HIV positive status confidential and private.
Dr. Knowles being Margo’s doctor has a duty towards her to tell her about Ben’s medical status and to prevent any kind of infection from Ben.
Both of them are facing conflict of duties towards their patients. Ben’s reports should be confidential while Margo being his partner must know about.
Does Dr. Knowles have a duty to keep the information confidential when what he knows about Ben might help save Margo’s?
As far as this kind of dilemma is there, the confidentiality of Ben’s medical status can be violated because it can single handedly save her life. Because if she will know about Ben being HIV positive, she may have diagnosis and testing as early as possible so that she can have diagnosis and testing done so as to control the infection
Further if she is also diagnosed with AIDS, then therapies and medicines can be administered on her can control the infection at early stage. Also, Ben has not told her and we cannot wait for him to tell.
It may seem unethical but it is a foremost duty of a doctor to save the patient. Telling Margo about Ben’s medical status will violate confidentiality but will save Margo’s life from a life threatening ailment. If not told, it may affect her as well as further children of them.
So, Dr. Knowles do have a duty to keep the information confidential but presently it’s about saving someone’s life and he must tell Margo whatever he knows about Ben.
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