The ethical implications of screening for HIV: whose choice reigns?

Public health programmes based around the concept of screening are becoming increasingly common in our attempts to limit disease susceptibility, including transmission. in this talk i will examine the arguments for and against mandatory screening for infectious diseases. we all want to limit the spread of infection, but how far can public health goals over ride individual choice? when a positive screening test implies negative outcomes for the individual, do we have a right to insist on participation? when the absence of screening can potentially affect the outcome of a pregnancy, whose rights predominate the mother or the child? these, and other issues, will be explored through discussions of ethical concepts and case studies, with a particular focus on screening for hiv and other sexually transmitted infections.