HIV-testing of dental students and faculty: benefits, detriment and implications

Many medical and legal problems have been raised by the acquired immunodeficiency disease. While there is a large volume of literature which addresses these problems, scant attention has been paid to problems which arise when health care faculty and students are affected by this disease. Some health care administrators have discussed the propriety the routine testing of faculty and students for HIV disease, especially when invasive procedures are involved: This article discusses some of the legal issues which attend routine HIV testing in this context. Arguments for and against routine testing are presented. In addition, routine testing is distinguished from targeted testing in response to the reasonable belief that a health care worker is HIV-positive. It is argued that routine testing of health care workers is legally unwarranted. There are arguments, however, that testing of those believed to be HIV-positive is legally sound. Targeted HIV testing may be especially useful and permissible when the worker performs invasive procedures.