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Compassion
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Compassion requires that people respond to the
suffering of others, including those with HIV/AIDS, with sympathy, mercy
and a willingness to help.
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Solidarity
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Solidarity requires that people come together to respond
to the suffering, as well as the injustice, caused by HIV/AIDS,
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Responsibility
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Responsibility means that every individual, community, institution
and nation must act responsibly towards HIV/AIDS to prevent its spread
and to care for those infected and otherwise affected.
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Tolerance
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Tolerance requires respect for the equal worth, dignity and
autonomy of people affected by HIV/AIDS, including those with different
beliefs, opinions, and life styles.
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Information
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All individuals and communities should have available to
them the information necessary to make good and necessary decisions about
their health. including how to avoid HIV infection with HIV/AIDS and how
to cope with its consequences.
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Empowerment
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All people should have the ability to protect themselves
from infection by being able to refuse unsafe sex and to cope with HIV/AIDS
if they or someone in their family is infected.
Ethical principles that should guide policy formulation and implementation
in HIV/AIDS health policy.
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Well-being/Beneficence
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HIV/AIDS policies should be designed for the general good,
and the benefits of the proposed policy should be weighed against the
harms. There should be no infliction of harm on people, including those
living with HIV/AIDS or suspected of it.
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Equity/Distributive Justice
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The burdens and benefits of HIV/AIDS policy should be distributed
equitably among the population. No groups or individuals should be discriminated
against in the context of HIV/AIDS. All people and groups should be treated
fairly and equally and have equal access to available information, prevention
methods, treatment and research results.
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Respect for Persons
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Individuals have the capacity and right to make choices and
decisions about their bodies. personal integrity, and actions as long
as do not diminish rights of others. aid should be free from unjustified
interference by others. including in the context of HIV/AIDS. People of
diminished autonomy who are dependent or vulnerable should be protected
against harm or abuse.
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Confidentiality
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People have a right to keep confidential any information
which is highly personal and the divulgence of which could be detrimental
for them, including information about their HIV/AIDS status. Professional
ethics requires that professionals (lawyers, health care workers, insurance,
social workers) maintain strict confidentiality concerning all personal
information obtained from clients in the context of their professional
work.
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Obligation to treat
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Medical ethics requires that health professionals must treat,
to the best of their ability, all persons seeking their medical attention
without discrimination and without prejudice based on the origin or nature
of the patient's illness, including HIV/AIDS.
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Informed Consent
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Respect for the integrity and autonomy of the individual
means that informed consent should be obtained before the administration
of medical tests, drugs, treatment or participation in research, including
those that are related to HIV/AIDS.
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Elements of Informed Consent
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The individual must be a competent individual who has the
capacity to make decisions. S/he must have received all necessary information,
and arrived at a decision without coercion, inducement or intimidation.
If s/he does not have capacity to give free consent, s/he should be protected
by supplementary measures or authorized representatives.
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Information Essential to
Informed Consent
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Information concerning HIV/AIDS testing, treatment and research
should be explained in a language the individual will understand. All
benefits/risks/problems/alternatives should be fully explained. No information
should be withheld that would cause a reasonable person to refuse. The
person should understand that they are free to reftise and/or withdraw
at any time without penalty. The degree to which confidentiality can be
maintained should also be explained to the person.
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HIV
and AIDS Related