Medical confidentiality in the care of patients with HIV/AIDS

Abstract The life of the person who finds they are infected with the immunodeficiency virus is transformed after the diagnosis. And, given the stigma of the disease, confidentiality is the way to ensure privacy when facing this condition. Through an integrative review of the literature, this study aimed to identify how confidentiality has been addressed in the care of people with HIV/AIDS. Nineteen national and international scientific publications, published between 2010 and 2015, were selected in open access databases. Studies have pointed out that stigma, prejudice and discrimination permeate the lives of HIV-positive people, who are constantly living in fear of being discovered. In addition, it has been found that discrimination is present even among health professionals and that breaking confidentiality usually leads the patient to abandon treatment. Therefore, preserving the privacy and confidentiality of the person with HIV/AIDS is the duty of professionals and represents a challenge in the information age.

摘要
当个体确诊感染人类免疫缺陷病毒（Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV）后，其人生轨迹将在确诊后发生剧变。鉴于该疾病所伴随的污名化现象，保密是保障此类患者隐私的核心举措。本研究通过整合性文献综述（integrative review），旨在厘清HIV/获得性免疫缺陷综合征（Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, AIDS）感染者照护实践中保密原则的落实现状。研究于开放获取数据库中筛选了2010至2015年间发表的19篇国内外学术文献。现有研究表明，污名、偏见与歧视贯穿HIV感染者的日常生活，他们始终处于身份暴露的恐惧之中。此外，研究还发现，即便在医疗卫生从业人员群体中，歧视现象亦屡见不鲜；而泄露患者保密信息的行为往往会导致感染者放弃治疗。因此，保护HIV/AIDS感染者的隐私与保密信息是医护人员的职责所在，同时也是信息时代面临的一项严峻挑战。