[Clipping: AIDS] Part: 3 of 4
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would, too."
Last May, the national Centers
for Disease Control reported the
first three cases of medical work-
ers who had been infected after
exposure to contaminated blood.
A positive HIV. test does not
mean a person has AIDS, or ac-
quired immune deficiency syn-
drome, doctors say. Experts pre-
dict at' least half of those infected
with HIV will develop the dis-
ease within 10 years of infection.
AIDS is a viral disorder that
attacks the immune system, leav-
ing a person vulnerable to oppor-
tunistic infections and cancers. It
is transmitted primarily through
sexual contact or the sharing of
contaminated intravenous nee-
dles by drug addicts. It is a
blood-borne disease for which
there is no known cure.
Doctors and other medical
workers, who may get splashed
with blood or nicked by instru-
ments during even routine medi-
cal procedures, are potentially
exposed to the virus. .
At Parkland, the total number
of HIV tests ordered by doctors
has increased each month during
the past year, officials said. They
would not release statistics.
However, "the numbers have
'Increased exponentially. It's a
steady increase; it hasn't pla-
teaued yet," said Dr. Edwin
Steane. He directs Parkland's
hemotherapy department, which
analyzes blood samples. "Doctors
are ordering. increasing numbers
of HIV tests. I think there is a
,tendency for this test to be done
unnecessarily, -- our hospital,
isn't any different than any oth-
er. "
Officials at several other Dallas
hospitals said patients were test-
ed, but only after giving their
consent.
"A physician can request an
HIV test only with the patient's
consent," said Barbara Bousquet,
spokeswoman for Presbyterian
Hospital. If a patient arrives un-
1eonscious, after trying to contact') L i e1L lily ii we palienm is
comatose or otherwise not capa-
ble," Pierce said.
"The net result will be to de-
crease the amount of testing," he
said..
Gay Alliance officials last
month met with Parkland ad-
ministrators to complain about
treatment of AIDS patients and
HIV tests administered to the
three men without their knowl-
edge. Hospital officials said the
decision to change their testing
policy was not influenced by the
meeting.
Gay leaders say a person who
is tested is often the victim of
discrimination, since insurance
companies may discontinue cov-
erage of someone considered at
risk for AIDS.
Waybourn said Parkland pa-
tients in two of the three record-
ed cases were informed promptly
of the test results - one tested
negative, the other positive. The
third, who had tested positive for
exposure to the HIV virus, did
not learn of his condition until
his employer's insurance compa-
ny rejected him for coverage.
Two of the men would not
comment on the advice of Gay
Alliance attorney John Rogers,
who declined to return calls from
the Times Herald.
'The other man, who requested
anonymity, said his blood was
drawn in Parkland's emergency
room, and he noticed that one of
the vials had HIV written on it.
"I didn't give any consent for
an HIV test, and I wasn't asked
for consent,",he said.
The 23-year-old Dallas gay res-
ident said he asked a nurse about
the vial and was told that he was
being tested for AIDS.
A couple of weeks later, still in
the hospital, he was informed he
had tested negative.
"I was relieved, but if. it had
been a different result, I'm not
sure I would have wanted to
know," he said. "That can change
your whole life."=on
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[Clipping: AIDS], clipping, 1988; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1584632/m1/3/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.