# RO: Doctor withholds HIV meds out of disapproval of patient's homosexuality **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 3, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-doctor-withholds-hiv-meds-out-of-disapproval-of-patients-homosexuality/623965 "2012-06-03T20:31:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-doctor-withholds-hiv-meds-out-of-disapproval-of-patients-homosexuality/623965/41 "2012-06-05T05:01:25Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > What in the hell are you talking about? You’re slow. I get that. **Flatlined** got the point, but you didn’t, so I will spell it out for you. The horrible actions of the doctor in the story probably never happened. To be outraged at the doctor and to _name_ that doctor for things she probably never did is not a good thing. To say, “It might be true” is weaselly, and opens a door for slander. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-doctor-withholds-hiv-meds-out-of-disapproval-of-patients-homosexuality/623965/42 "2012-06-05T05:02:20Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Making an analogy between **flatlined** and the doctor being accused here. By substituting **flatlined** and some crazy story that has no corroborating evidence supporting it for the doctor and the crazy ass accusations against _her_ that have no corroborating evidence supporting it; **AMWAG** is trying to highlight the absurdity of jumping to conclusions. Doesn’t seem to fit to me - **flatlined** hasn’t jumped to any conclusions, and there is apparently some evidence in the story in the OP, such as the patients own doctor? And really, there must be _some_ evidence if an attorney was willing to file a suit, right? Right? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-doctor-withholds-hiv-meds-out-of-disapproval-of-patients-homosexuality/623965/43 "2012-06-05T05:32:33Z")
To put it another way, I was trying to caution **Flatlined** that baseless accusations can do damage just by acknowledging that they are in the least bit conceivable. “They might be true” is bullshit. Anything _might_ be true. Glen Beck made a short lived career out of that shit. That’s where my “these questions need to be asked” thing came from. She had two choices: Skepticism or “outrage for 300”. I’ve got nothing against **flatlined** , but I had to call her on it. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-doctor-withholds-hiv-meds-out-of-disapproval-of-patients-homosexuality/623965/44 "2012-06-05T05:49:02Z")
Courthouse News Service’s publishing of the alleged victim’s lawyer’s press release is _still_ the only source for this story, and most of those sites that are reprinting it haven’t even bothered to correct the name of the doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-doctor-withholds-hiv-meds-out-of-disapproval-of-patients-homosexuality/623965/45 "2012-06-05T12:21:37Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I’ve seen the most blatantly false accusations made in many affidavits and lawsuits in civil courts about medical practicecomplaints, some of which were even aimed at me! :eek: > > So I’d take it with a _huuuuuuuuuuge_ shaker of salt unless some actual corroborating evidence is produced. Exactly > [@Czarcasm](#): > > Courthouse News Service’s publishing of the alleged victim’s lawyer’s press release is _still_ the only source for this story, and most of those sites that are reprinting it haven’t even bothered to correct the name of the doctor. As far as I know that is all that site does. Useful in its way but not a source for unbiased reporting. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-doctor-withholds-hiv-meds-out-of-disapproval-of-patients-homosexuality/623965/46 "2012-06-06T17:45:57Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > My therapist tells me that there are still counselors who believe that homosexuality is a disease to be cured. It’s 2012…not 1912. IIRC, World health organization still considered homosexuality to be a mental disease until the 1990s. But not because they have determined that there is not a mental component to it, but because they don’t consider it a disease, i.e. they consider it a normal part of human sexuality. > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Again, that’s something pharmacists have been getting away with, by doing things like accepting prescriptions from women, then refusing to dispense the medicine and refusing to hand the prescription back so the woman can go elsewhere. In what way do pharmacists “get away with” stealing someone’s prescription? In what jurisdiction is this legal? > [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > The pharmacist refused to fill it AND refused to give it back. Nice, huh? Its illegal. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > Courthouse News Service’s publishing of the alleged victim’s lawyer’s press release is _still_ the only source for this story, and most of those sites that are reprinting it haven’t even bothered to correct the name of the doctor. So wait, these are merely allegations by someone who is menatlly ill? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-doctor-withholds-hiv-meds-out-of-disapproval-of-patients-homosexuality/623965/47 "2012-06-06T18:19:00Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > So wait, these are merely allegations by someone who is menatlly ill? Yeah, I love it when the unsupported unfiltered allegations of the mentally ill or psychopathic or convicted criminal types get wide play on the net. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-doctor-withholds-hiv-meds-out-of-disapproval-of-patients-homosexuality/623965/48 "2012-06-06T18:33:50Z")
I’m not going to bother ordering the complaint, but as far as those saying that Courthouse News Service is the only source of the story, I can tell you that the case absolutely exists. It’s New Jersey Union County Superior Court Case #UNN L 001868 12, filed May 23rd. _Simoes v. Trinitas Regional Medical Center, et al._ He paid the $200 filing fee, so I assume he’s serious even if the allegations within haven’t been proven yet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ro-doctor-withholds-hiv-meds-out-of-disapproval-of-patients-homosexuality/623965.md?page=2)