اخلاق و تاریخ پزشکی ایران

Public health programmes based around the concept of screening are becoming increasingly common in our attempts to limit disease susceptibility, including transmission. In this talk I will examine the arguments for and against mandatory screening for infectious diseases. We all want to limit the spread of infection, but how far can public health goals over-ride individual choice? When a positive screening test implies negative outcomes for the individual, do we have a right to insist on participation? When the absence of screening can potentially affect the outcome of a pregnancy, whose rights predominate - the mother or the child? These, and other issues, will be explored through discussions of ethical concepts and case studies, with a particular focus on screening for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.