Is Public Health a Public Good?

Often, the struggle to do what we believe is right can make us take on some actions that may be considered wrong. Certainly this is the case with Peter Gonzalez, a inner city doctor who works at Uphams Corner Neighborhood Health Center. In order to combat the spread of AIDS in the area, Dr. Gonzalez, slips in AIDS testing forms into the packet of information that patients flip through and sign without reading. However, the Massachusetts law requires informed consent in order to test patients. So, the first question that should be addressed is whether or not Dr. Gonzalez's approach is legal or ethical in it's nature.

Of course, it takes only a look at Massachusetts Policy on HIV Testing (Exhibit One) to realize that Dr. Gonzalez's methods, as described in the case study, are definitely illegal. The law states that he must give informed consent, and by simply slipping the papers in for them to sign, he is not doing that, thereby making his actions illegal. However, perhaps the greater question here is whether or not this method is ethical. To answer this, we should look at the actions for consequentiality and from a deontological approach.