Ethical issues in research on control of the HIV/AIDS epidemic: report from a workshop of the World Federation of Scientists, Erice, Sicily, Italy, 22–24 August 2003

In research on control of the HIV/AIDS epidemic there are many ethical issues to be considered. The problem of personal autonomy versus the interest of society to prevent the spread of the disease in various settings makes it difficult to follow the regulations of the Declaration of Helsinki in all respects. This is particularly clear in the evaluation of trials aimed at preventing mother‐to‐child transmission of HIV. The interest of the child does not always conform to the policy of avoiding stigmatization of the mother.

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