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HIV-related practices and ethics - survey of opinions in a paediatric department
Abstract
Seventy-five doctors· working in an academic paediatric department each completed an anonymous se"-administered questionnaire. Questions were posed relating to the need for consent before human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and·the informing of sexual partners of HIV-infected mothers. Only 9% of the doctors thought that the sexual partner of an HIV-infected mother should never be informed if the mother refused to do so. Sixty-one per cent of the doctors thought that pre-test consent was never necessary when screening hospital admissions. This opinion conflicts with the view of the South African Medical and Dental Council that pre-test consent is mandatory.