Article Abstract:
The detention of HIV-positive Haitian refugees at a US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, illuminated the human rights violations often faced by people with AIDS. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. The refugees were released in 1993 by order of Judge Sterling Johnson, Jr., of the US District Court of Appeals. At that time, they had been detained for almost two years in the only refugee camp maintained exclusively for HIV-positive people. The military physicians caring for the refugees repeatedly told members of the Immigration and Naturalization Service that patients with CD4 cell counts of 200 or less per cubic millimeter could not be cared for adequately at the camp. This issue was first discussed in May 1992. As pressure against immigration mounts, discrimination against those with diseases such as AIDS is likely to increase. Physicians and lawyers will need to work together to ensure that adequate medical care is provided to those who need it, both in the US and overseas.
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Article Abstract:
The creation of a genetic database covering the entire population of Iceland poses significant ethical problems. The database will be created by a for-profit US company called deCODE genetics. It will contain the medical records of all Icelanders who agree to participate, all of whom will have to give a blood sample for DNA analysis. Each resident should be able to withdraw from the database at any time and their DNA sample should be destroyed. Whether this will happen in Iceland remains to be seen.
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Article Abstract:
An analysis of the Massachusetts genetic testing law illustrates the need for a comprehensive federal law that would prohibit discrimination against a person based on his or her genetic profile. Genetic information should also be private and should only be released to others if the patient consents.
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