Patient confidentiality challenged over HIV test results

doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7399.1107

BMJ 2003;326:1107 (24 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7399.1107

News roundup

Patient confidentiality challenged over HIV test results

Sydney Christopher Zinn

An Australian Supreme Court judge is considering a case that challenges the legal protection of doctor-patient confidentiality after two GPs failed to inform a woman that her African fiancé was HIV positive after the couple attended a surgery together for blood tests.

The 28 year old woman, who went on to contract the disease, is suing the doctors in the New South Wales court for negligence and breach of contract for not taking adequate steps to protect her interests.

The woman, known as "PD" in court, was concerned about the high rate of HIV in the man's home country of Ghana, but he failed to tell her about his positive test and forged a pathology report to convince her to have unprotected sex.

She is seeking damages for pain and suffering, financial loss, care for her children, and medical expenses. The landmark hearing was told she might . . . [Full text of this article]

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