Intentional Exposure of Unknowing Sexual Partners to HIV

Case Summary

             Mr. Williams learned of his HIV status through a public health nurse but has continued to engage in unprotected sex with women and young girls even after knowing his HIV status. Mr. Williams kept a list of women and girls who he had sexual intercourse with (p.81). Thus, it was possible for medical professionals to access them, make contact and offer testing services to the patients. A medical professional would educate their patients on how to take precautions against spreading the disease to other people who are not affected. Pregnant women would be given treatment to decrease the chance of transmitting the disease to their newborns. Mr. Williams had many contacts of health professionals since he claimed he has suffered from schizophrenia.

            In my opinion, Mr. Williams did not want people to know that he is HIV positive since he claimed he has suffered from schizophrenia. Also, it was not his interest to have his many past partners to realize that he infected them or put them at risk of infection. Mr. Williams wanted his HIV status to be kept private and confidential by the doctors. Doctors should inform individuals who have had unprotected sex with their HIV positive patients that there are at high risk of being affected by the disease. Individuals who know there are infected with HIV continues to engage in unprotected sex thus putting transmitting the disease to their partners (p.83). There is a conflict of ideas on the ground that the doctor fails to honour his patient’s secrets as obligated.

            Utilitarianism tries to bring happiness and avoid pain by morally focusing on maximizing happiness and a matter of measuring the outcome.  Consequentialism is determining the greatest good for the greatest number of people. The physician should exercise cautions when disclosing confidential information of his infected patient. If need be, the doctor should only disclose information to the people who are potentially exposed to risk, criminal justice or law enforcement. Individuals who are known to expose HIV to others should be identified and get professional counselling to practice safer sexual behaviours.

            The physician should proceed by offering public health benefits to people living with HIV, their partners and the society as a whole. Individuals who are unaware of their risks should be informed of their potential exposure to the disease. Married people and young people should be encouraged to be tested and learn how to avoid future exposure by practicing safer behaviours. Those individuals who go for testing and found themselves HIV positive should be given early medical treatment thus prolonging their lives and protecting them from being affected by other sexual diseases (p.82).  Development of public health and facilities should be put in place, this will lower or decrease HIV transmission rate by identifying high-risk social networks in the society.

             Patients who go for HIV testing in hospitals should be offered good services such as counselling to help them not to get or transmit the disease to other people. Patients should provide information about their sex partners .HIV is the leading cause of death among women and young girls who are infected by their partners. Individuals with HIV and continues to have unprotected sex without informing their partners commit a criminal act.  Physicians should take action to turn away appropriate public health threat to an individual in the society. Although doctors are unable to deal with such cases since they raise difficult issues in public health services, ethics, and law.

 

 

 

 

Reference

Chapter 4: Benefiting the patients and others. Case 4.5.  “Intentional Exposure of Unknowing Sexual Partners to HIV. ” Pp.81-82.