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Psychosocial and Public Health Impacts of New HIV Therapies pp 113–135Cite as

Ethical Issues in the Use of New Treatments for HIV

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Part of the book series: AIDS Prevention and Mental Health ((APMH))

Conclusion

The stunningly rapid growth of the medical and psychosocial knowledge about HIV and its treatment has left many caregivers struggling to incorporate new findings into their work and many patients uncertain about the implications for their future life. This is a period of tremendous expectation, where the rewards of research appear high for AIDS investigators, clinicians, and people living with HIV: High expectations, however, may also lead to profound disappointment if the implied promises of new treatments for HIV are not fulfilled. Broken promises, real or imagined, will ultimately undermine the trust that is the foundation of the ethics of health care and of scientific research.

The AIDS epidemic is widely credited with having tempered the uncritical enthusiasm of U.S. society for medical miracles and unrealistic faith that science holds the key to improving the human condition. AIDS and its treatment have continually reminded us of the importance of human presence and support in illness, even when no effective therapy is possible. This valuable lesson has come at a high price and should remain the centerpiece of the ethics of HIV care, even as we work to interpret and apply the therapeutic breakthroughs of combination therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, The University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, 77030

    Elizabeth Heitman & Michael W. Ross

Authors
  1. Elizabeth Heitman
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  2. Michael W. Ross
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Howard Brown Health Center and University of Illinois/Chicago School of Public Health, Chicago, Illinois

    David G. Ostrow M.D., Ph.D.

  2. Center for AIDS Intervention Research (CAIR), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    Seth C. Kalichman Ph.D.

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© 2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Heitman, E., Ross, M.W. (2002). Ethical Issues in the Use of New Treatments for HIV. In: Ostrow, D.G., Kalichman, S.C. (eds) Psychosocial and Public Health Impacts of New HIV Therapies. AIDS Prevention and Mental Health. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47159-0_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47159-0_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-306-45973-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-306-47159-9

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