Wallis Patrick
Department of Economic History, London School of Economics.
Bull Hist Med. 2011 Winter;85(4):620-49. doi: 10.1353/bhm.2011.0092.
A heated ethical and professional debate occurred in the United States in the late 1980s over whether doctors had an ethical obligation to treat people with AIDS. Sparked by public refusals to treat by physicians, the debate was linked to changes in the epidemic and general tensions about the character of the profession. Despite widespread public consensus on the existence of a duty, the outcome of the debate was limited. Physicians' obligations for HIV/AIDS were defined by law; no general and durable obligation in the face of epidemics was secured. The professional system proved weak in the face of potential crisis.
20世纪80年代末，美国就医生是否有道德义务治疗艾滋病患者展开了一场激烈的伦理和专业辩论。这场辩论由医生公开拒绝治疗引发，与疫情变化以及该职业性质的普遍紧张关系有关。尽管公众普遍认为存在这样的义务，但辩论的结果有限。医生对艾滋病毒/艾滋病的义务由法律界定；面对疫情，并未确立普遍且持久的义务。面对潜在危机，专业体系显得薄弱。
