The physician and the AIDS patient

The grim statistics of the AIDS crisis have triggered a sweeping public policy debate over issues that directly affect the physician, including whether testing for AIDS should be mandatory, whether the physician has a duty to disclose known risks to an endangered third party or keep such information confidential, and whether the physician has a duty to treat AIDS patients. One state, California, has begun to respond to these issues through legislation. This article discusses the dilemmas facing physicians and the legal principles involved in the resolution of such conflicts.