Rough Treatment for AIDS

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1994. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Rough Treatment for AIDS

Boston Globe (12/26/94) P. 52
Lewis, Diane E.

HIV patients from around the country have stories of either receiving insufficient treatment or of being denied medical care--which is a violation of federal and state laws as well as of professional and ethical standards requiring fair treatment for all patients. The Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) and the AIDS Action Committee have drafted a bill in Massachusetts that would link licensure of all health professionals to mandatory AIDS education and training. The groups believe that stiff penalties would prevent bias from occurring. Physicians, however, say they have the right to recommend specialized care to clients who require it, and that a referral should not be seen as an attempt to deny treatment to a patient. The American Medical Association's (AMA) guidelines dictate that a physician may not ethically refuse treatment to a patient whose condition is within his realm of expertise just because the patient has HIV. The AMA also says that a doctor should be free to choose whom they serve and, if unable to perform services required by patients with HIV or AIDS, should make referrals. Many AIDS activists say that too many medical professionals are using that guideline as a loophole to avoid treating HIV patients.

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