Euthanasia, assisted suicide and AIDS: issues for nurses

There is a growing trend for people with AIDS to choose to end their lives through euthanasia or assisted suicide. In doing so, they seek to maintain control and dignity in the face of distressing symptoms. This paper examines some of the issues this raises for nurses in the light of a selection of papers presented at the International Conference on AIDS in Vancouver earlier this year. More discussion on the implications is suggested to ensure that nurses can support the people they care for.