AIDS and a Duty to Protect ?

[U58563 at uicvm.uic.edu]

   Suppose the doctor TELLS the fiance against the patient's wishes.  Maybe
this will work fine this time... but assuming the patient makes a stink, a lot
of future patients will go into the doctor's office with a Defendent Mentality.
They will be afraid that anything they say can and will be used against them;
that if they get tested for HIV that their relatives, employers, or others will
be told whether they like it or not.  So they will not even FIND OUT if they
have the disease, much less change behavior to avoid transmission.
   The situation is similar to that of a priest who could tell the police
every thing he hears in the confessional --- and damage the power of ANY priest
ever again to hear or give counsel on anything.
   While I am not a proponent of medical regulations, I can easily see why
doctors would view the violation of confidence by any doctor as a real threat
to all of them.