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A lawsuit filed Friday against the
University of Wisconsin Hospital alleges personnel there improperly disclosed a
patient’s AIDS diagnosis to family members. The case marks the second time in
about eight months UW Hospital has been sued because doctors allegedly revealed
a patient’s HIV status to family members without permission.
The new lawsuit was filed by the
patient’s estate and family. Before the man died, he was “embarrassed,
humiliated, and deprived of a dignified death by the unauthorized disclosure of
his HIV/AIDS status,” the suit alleges.
According to the filing, a resident
told the wife and son of the patient that he had AIDS, rather than wake him
from a nap to tell him personally. The man was forced to tell his wife he had
been unfaithful and that his diagnosis was likely the result of same-sex
extramarital affairs he never intended to reveal.
The lawsuit also alleges that
medical personnel disregarded privacy safeguards the family was told had been
initiated to avoid further disclosures, with a resident and medical students
discussing the man’s condition in the presence of one of his sisters.
“Many of his siblings questioned him
about his diagnosis, and prior to [the man’s] death he knew and understood that
his HIV/AIDS status and his same-sex extramarital affairs had been disclosed to
all his siblings and his mother, and he suffered greatly as a result,” says the
suit.
The other lawsuit was filed by a man
whose mother was allegedly told at the hospital he was HIV-positive. Court
records show that case is in court-ordered mediation.
UW Hospital spokesperson Toni
Morrissey said the hospital has not received the lawsuit and does not comment
on pending litigation.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
