Health News
2007-02-01
Study: HIV
discrimination rampant in Los Angeles County health care
Los Angeles
County health care providers show high rates of HIV
discrimination, reports the Williams Institute
Los Angeles
County health care providers show high rates of HIV
discrimination, reports the Williams Institute on Sexual
Orientation Law and Public Policy at the University of
California, Los Angeles.
In three studies
conducted between 2003 and 2005, third-year law
students, posing as patients who were HIV-positive or
organizations working with HIV-positive patients,
telephoned health care providers and asked if they
treated HIV-positive people, then recorded and coded the
responses.
Overall, 56% of
skilled nursing facilities, 47% of obstetricians, and 26%
of plastic and cosmetic surgeons in Los Angeles County would
not accept HIV-positive patients for services commonly
offered to HIV-negative patients. When asked if he
accepted HIV-positive patients, one health care worker
responded, "We try not to. I'm just trying to be
honest," according to the institute’s press release.
The types of
health care providers were chosen based on current medical
needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS, including nursing
care for aging HIV population, cosmetic surgery to
address facial wasting, and prenatal care for women
living with HIV.
"The large number
of health care providers who would readily admit that
they would not treat HIV-positive patients is surprising,"
said Brad Sears, executive director of the Williams
Institute and author of the study, in a
press release. "Their responses indicate a broad
lack of knowledge about the laws prohibiting such
discrimination."
Lack of expertise
or medical equipment, the fact that they had never
treated an HIV-positive patient before, or that their staff
were inadequately trained or would "revolt" if asked
to treat HIV-positive patients were some common
justifications for the discriminatory behavior.
Frequently,
providers would tell a caller that they need a
“specialist” or to “go to a
hospital.” However, state and federal law requires
referrals not be a standard practice but made on a
case-by-case basis after providers have gathered
specific information about a prospective patient.
"Many providers
are refusing to treat HIV-positive patients and are
referring them elsewhere in violation of the ethical rules
of their own professional associations," says Sears.
"In a couple of cases, the testers followed up on the
initial referrals, only to be referred on again and
again in a frustrating trail that ended with an absolute
refusal of care."
Studies done in
the mid 1990s showed high levels of HIV discrimination by
dentists and other health care providers.
Lee Badgett,
Williams Institute research director, said in the release:
"While the United States has made great advances during the
past decade in treating HIV disease, this study shows
that we lag behind in eradicating HIV
discrimination.” (The Advocate)
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