Ethical Issues Related to Hiv and Aids

Ethical Issues Related to HIV and AIDS 1

Practice Area and Social Work Involvement

HIV and AIDS are medical conditions but the practice area is not confined to the medical field. This practice area includes working with individuals who have already been infected, as well as education aimed at preventing the spread of this illness. Social workers may become involved through their work in the fields of "mental health, addictions, community development, and health care," (CASW), as well as in schools, immigration, and policy development.

Social workers can provide a variety of services in these areas of practice. If a social worker is working in the health care, mental health, or addictions they may act as a counsellor. They may provide support and guidance to individuals who have been newly diagnosed. In schools or working with immigrant populations social workers may act as an educator; they could provide information to both adults and children to help prevent HIV transmission. Lastly, if a social worker is working in the area of policy development than they make act as advocate on behalf of those individuals who are HIV positive or have AIDS, in an effort to influence the development of policies that would support and protect this group of people.

Major Ethical Issues

Ethical Issue 1

If a social worker is employed by a school, a community organization, a religious based organization, or even as a private counsellor, they may be involved to some extent in providing sex education. In such a situation the employer of the social worker may request that they teach an abstinence only approach. As of 2005 Canadian statistics show that the percentage of 15 to 19 year olds that are engaged in sexual activity range from 35% in Prince Edward Island to 58% in Quebec, (Rotterman, p. 2). Considering these statistics and that research has shown that "comprehensive sexuality education programs demonstrate efficacy in delaying initiation of intercourse, in addition to promoting other protective behaviours such as condom use, " (Ott and Santelli, Program Effectiveness),

2

is it ethical for a social worker to educate adolescents using abstinence only education?

There are two relevant values in the code of ethics that relate to this scenario. The value of pursuit of social justice is relevant as it believes in providing resources, services and opportunities for the overall benefit of humanity and to afford them protection from harm. In order to protect children and adolescents from harm they need to be told how to protect themselves. Competence in professional practice is the second relevant value. Clients have the right to be offered the highest-quality