Sexual Health

Question 1

What is the GMC Confidentiality guidance on Serious Communicable Diseases 2017

Answer 1

You may disclose information to a person who has close contact with a patient who has a serious communicable disease if you have reason to think that:

• the person is at risk of infection that is likely to result in serious harm
• the patient has not informed them and cannot be persuaded to do so

Question 2

Describe some ethical scenarios you might encounter in sexual health

Answer 2

Diagnosing a patient with an STI ie Chlamydia and having to contact their recent sexual partners because the patient doesn’t want to

Man comes into clinic and is diagnosed with secondary syphilis. He has recently slept with his wife and a Kazakh sex worker. Issues are that both women should be tested. Often the sex worker is untraceable though. He won’t tell his wife as he’s scared it will destroy their marriage.

Dentist who tests positive for HIV. Issues with this = his wellbeing and the wellbeing of his patients, his future employment and his privacy. Sometimes have to write to all his previous patients and invite them in for HIV screening - this causes huge upset and can damage his reputation especially if the media catch on.

Question 3

Within the NHS can healthcare workers work with HIV?

Answer 3

Yes, if their treatment is effective

Question 4

Look

Answer 4

STI’s affect more than one person - some known and some unknown.

Utilitarian ethics comes into play in sexual health as you have to consider the individual but also the wider population (spreading of STIs etc)