HIV patients report discrimination by their doctors

Research published in the September 2005 edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine reveals that more than a quarter of HIV-infected patients may perceive that they are discriminated against by physicians and other health care providers. In the study, 26 percent of a nationally representative sample of 2,455 HIV-infected adults reported that they felt discriminated against by physicians and other health care providers, according to a release by the journal’s publisher, Blackwell Synergy. More than half of the reports of discrimination was attributed to physicians and ranged from perceiving that providers had been uncomfortable with them, treated them as an inferior, preferred to avoid them or refused health care completely.

For an abstract of the study or to purchase a full-text version, go to www.blackwell-synergy.com.