       Document 0361
 DOCN  M9590361
 TI    Assisted suicide, euthanasia, AIDS & the law.
 DT    9509
 AU    Magnusson RS; Faculty of Law, University of Melbourne.
 SO    Annu Conf Australas Soc HIV Med. 1994 Nov 3-6;6:131 (unnumbered
       abstract). Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ASHM6/95291738
 AB    Assisted suicide and euthanasia are currently the subject of vigorous
       community debate. Polls reveal a high level of public support for law
       reform, and a number of doctors have recently publicly admitted to
       hastening death. Issues of assisted suicide and euthanasia are
       particularly relevant within the HIV community, particularly among gay
       men with AIDS, many of whom are politically aware, articulate, and wish
       to retain control over their disease process. Nevertheless, the
       'bedside' issues which arise when patients with AIDS wish to die are
       extremely difficult and painful. Health care professionals working in
       HIV must face these issues, and resolve any ethical dilemmas they
       perceive, bearing in mind the operation of the law in their
       jurisdiction. In this short paper I will present an anecdote drawn from
       my research-in-progress on euthanasia within the HIV community, which
       will touch on some of the dilemmas health care professionals face, as
       well as the considerable amount of emotion the issue of euthanasia is
       capable of generating. Thereafter I will briefly mention several legal
       principles which control how the law looks at euthanasia.
 DE    *Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/PSYCHOLOGY/THERAPY  Attitude to
       Death  Australia  Euthanasia/*LEGISLATION & JURISPRUD/PSYCHOLOGY
       Homosexuality, Male/PSYCHOLOGY  Human  Male  Physician's Role  Right to
       Die/LEGISLATION & JURISPRUD  Suicide, Assisted/*LEGISLATION & JURISPRUD
       MEETING ABSTRACT

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

