I’m just curious, why do you need to obtain a consent form to test for HIV (at least in MA), but diseases like hepatitis (pick your next letter) are free from this tedious amount of paperwork. Heck, for that matter why do CBCs and electrolytes only require a doc’s order?
I searched for this in the forums, I came up with nothing… though I’m sure someone will lead me to links, and links, and links galore on this subject.
IANAD, but I’ve got training in medical records, including releases.
I don’t have any hard-and-fast cites, but the rationale is that, since HIV is so stigmatized, special consents and privacy requirements are necessary to make sure that information isn’t released to anyone who absolutely doesn’t need to know it.
HIV and mental-health records are in a class of information that is explicitly protected to a higher degree than “regular” information.
Robin
It has a whole lot to do with homophobic stigmatism and a whole little to do with the real facts concerning the two infections. To wit:
H.I.V. cannot last long outside of the body. Cite: The H.I.V. InSite. Therefore as a matter of fear in a hospital setting, H.I.V. is less virulent than Hepatitis. Why? Because Hepatitis, depending on which strain, can last from 4 hours to many months outside of the body.
In terms of blood-to-open wound transfer, when I took my EMT training, my instructor made it clear to us that Hepatitis was a much greater threat to us than HIV, though HIV is still a very deadly threat if actually exposed. Phlebotomists who are Dopers may be able to chime in as to in-hospital protocols, but in the field we treat all bloodborne pathogens with equal care.
The facts, as cited, are another matter. HIV is incredibly delicate and Hepatitis is not. Exposure to 2-month old dried blood contains the very real risk of infection of Hepatitis, whereas exposure to 24-hour old dried blood that had HIV contains virtually no risk.
My WAG concerning consent is that the fuss is being made over H.I.V. before Hepatitis because of socio-political cause, not medical reasoning.
Worldwide H.I.V. Info as of 2001
Worldwide Hepatitis Stats in 1996
Cartooniverse
I have to get informed consent forms signed before I draw blood for HIV testing. The patient needs to know I’m drawing specifically to test for HIV and that they’ll be made aware of the results. Most people aren’t made aware of their CBC or H&H results. This is a CDC mandate, as I understand it, to educate the patient. As I deal with OB/GYN patients, not the stereotypical target group of the past, I have a lot of educating to do. The guidelines for informed consent are at cdc.gov.
Cyn, OB/GYN RN
I work in a lab (i.e. I’m the guy who does the HIV test) and pretty much what MsRobyn said. There’s a stigma to having HIV that may result in some types of discrimination against the person who has HIV. Thus, more consent than the implied consent one gives when one allows blood to be drawn is required.