Mandatory HIV/AIDS Testing: An Ethical Issue

Should HIV/AIDS testing be required for health care workers and patients? This study compared the perceptions of 64 health care professionals and 97 nursing students on mandatory HIV testing, the risk of accidental infection, the appropriate industry response to infection, and the placement of costs. Significant differences were found between the two groups. While health care professionals favored testing for patients, students favored mandatory testing for both health care workers and patients. Students also viewed the risk of HIV/AIDS infection by a patient as significantly higher than did health care workers. Overall younger respondents tended to favor mandatory testing and also thought that hospitals should bear the cost.