Ethical Issues in Nutrition and Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Abstract

Ethical dilemmas often arise in the provision of healthcare. In view of the advances in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) medical management since the late 1990s, many of the challenges and ethical dilemmas encountered by healthcare professionals have changed from terminal or end-of-life issues to long-term management issues. This article presents 5 case scenarios on common ethical issues faced by those providing nutrition care to people living with HIV/AIDS and addresses key questions to ask in the ethical deliberative process. Ethical dilemmas surrounding the use of complementary and alternative medicine, providing aggressive nutrition support, dealing with third-party payers for supplement reimbursement, and managing patients with mental health disorders and substance abuse issues are discussed, with possible solutions presented from an ethics point of view.