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HIV testing and informed consent

Correspondence to:
Lucy Frith
Lecturer in Health Care Ethics, Department of Primary Care, The University of Liverpool, The Whelan Building, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L69 3GB, UK; l.j.frith@liverpool.ac.uk Original version received 28 June 2005

29 June 2005

Keywords: HIV testing; HIV/AIDS; autonomy; informed consent

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In his paper, Ethics of HIV testing in general practice without informed consent, Fraser argues that pretest counselling and informed consent are pillars of the ethical conduct of HIV testing. In my response I want to look critically at these contentions. While I will agree with Fraser that it is always necessary to get informed consent from a patient for an HIV test I will argue that an emphasis on pretest counselling as a prerequisite for testing can actually undermine a patient’s autonomy, the very principle that informed consent seeks to promote.

This response will start with an analysis of Case Two as this highlights the fundamental importance of informed consent. It will then go on to look at Case One and show how the special application of informed consent in the field of HIV testing can, in certain circumstances, lead to a reduction in patient autonomy.

CASE TWO
. . . [Full text of this article]