The case of Dr. David Acer and his HIV patients reads like a matter of ethical and legal dilemmas, as well as a murder mystery. According to authorities, Dr. Acer, knowingly or unknowingly, infected five of his patients with the strain of the AIDS virus with which he himself had been infected (Altman, 1993). Whether or not Dr. Acer was guilty of intentionally infecting his patients cannot be answered beyond a reasonable doubt, however the ethical questions it presents are worth discussing. The family of one deceased victim, Miss Kimberly Bergalis, pushed for laws requiring that health care workers be tested for AIDS and notify patients of positive results (Altman, 1993). I believe this is an unfounded and immoral request. I personally believe that healthcare professionals should have the same privacy rights as other patients. Requiring healthcare workers to disclose patients' HIV status would effectively end their careers and livelihoods. Imagine if a healthcare worker contracted HIV while treating an infected patient. The time, money and hard work invested to get that career would have been for nothing. If workers were to tell patients that they have HIV, they would have to tell the employer and would never be hired. Would it be fair for healthcare workers to have the ability to refuse to treat patients based on HIV status, to protect healthcare workers? It would be considered unethical and the proposed sanction would require this question. If a healthcare worker practices adequate infection control and adheres to the principle of non-maleficence, no problems should arise. This is an idealistic point of view. However, it is supported by the journalistic investigations of Lawrence Altman of the New York Times. ...... middle of paper ...... increased demand for treatments and, in the long term, saving thousands of lives; do the least harm to help the greatest number of people. It is very possible that he is guilty and that foul play was involved, but no evidence supports this. Calling him guilty is in line with the theory that the government injected homosexuals with HIV. If it presents unfounded theories, perhaps Dr. Acer's case was a government creation to further spread stigma against the homosexual community. In any case, it remains an unsolved mystery. References Altman, L.W. (1993, June 6). AIDS and the dentist's secret. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1993/06/06/weekinreview/aids-and-a-dentist-s-secrets.htmlSzekely, J. (1994, April 4). A case of SEXUAL MURDER? Tuscan citizen. Retrieved from http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue2/1994/04/04/105840-a-case-of-sexual-homicide/