Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the virus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome referred to as AIDS (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2010). Left untreated, HIV can damage the immune system that can lead to AIDS. When the initial diagnosis becomes established the patient has many adjustments to overcome. Feelings of shame, guilt, denial, depression, fear, anger and shock are the beginning of the ramifications one must face with HIV and AIDS. Other ramifications include social, legal, and ethical issues. Whereas a diagnosis of HIV does not mean that the patient has AIDS, a diagnosis does mean that the patient will be thrust into an overwhelming state of emotion and …show more content…
In the modern society of present-day most are unafraid of war and crisis partly because war and crisis are easier to understand than HIV. With the information available today the public is still afraid to embrace the problem and stand for the fight against the disease and the discriminations involved with the infected. Society in general is a discriminative society. The social repercussions of HIV are astounding. The HIV patient is prone to social isolation and discrimination consistent throughout society. Most people view the HIV patient with stigmatized eyes as a deviant part of society. One must be a drug addict, gay, or lady of the night to contract such an evil disease. With various explanations available the public does not want to understand what the public fears. Therefore, the patient subjected receives insurmountable areas of pain and …show more content…
Established medical ethics require truthfulness, honesty, and integrity. All professional medical organizations have a code of ethics that is to be adhered to by each member of the staff. The codes declared that information regarding patients must not come up for discussion with anyone not directly concerned with the individual. The matter of confidentiality extends to all members of the organization. One’s behavior must remain consistent with the nature and values placed on the