Medicolegal aspects of HIV/AIDS

AIDS is a most prevailing disease which came to light only in 1981 when it caused outbreaks in the USA. However, in retrospect, the virus appears to have been seeded in the United States at least in the mid-1970s and a few unrecognized cases of AIDS had occurred in New York in 1978. There are three dimensions of stigma all of which are characteristic of HIV/AIDS; blemishes of personal character, stained social identity, and physical deformity or defects. The problem of HIV infection is growing at an explosive rate and this multifaceted problem has defied a medical cure till date. Thus, long term goals of combating this scourge comprise of integrated measures of prevention and rehabilitation of HIV infected individuals and finally to reintegrate them into the society Ministry of Welfare, social organization and community are basically concerned with prevention and rehabilitation aspects of these cases. Continuous systematic changes in relevant laws in the form of deletions, alterations and/or additions, must necessarily cope with volcanic changes of fast developing social environment including health hazards.