Title: Adding a Voice to the Unique Ethical Considerations in Molecular HIV Surveillance
Authors: Mutenherwa F, Wassenaar D, de Oliveira T.
Journal: The American Journal of Bioethics,https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2020.1806399: (2020)
Abstract
Molldrem and Smith (2020) provide an excellent discussion of ethical issues associated with the use of HIV genetic sequence data in molecular HIV surveillance (MHS), in particular, the complex issues that arise from the repurposing of HIV genetic testing from clinical care to a tool for HIV epidemiological surveillance and cluster detection and response (CDR). The authors achieve this objective in three steps: First, they provide a historical overview of MHS; second, they include a discussion of their theoretical framework, which is situated within the broad field of critical bioethics; and third, they present three case studies, which illuminate emerging bioethical and practical issues associated with the reuse of HIV genetic sequence data for both research and public health purposes. The first case study highlights the ethics of HIV molecular research and surveillance based on a review of available literature. In the second and third case studies, the authors draw attention to differences in opinion about the use of HIV phylogenetics to determine the directionality of HIV transmission and a myriad of ethical challenges that arose from a controversial study that used MHS to draw conclusions about transgender women.
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Citation: Mutenherwa F, Wassenaar D, de Oliveira T. Adding a Voice to the Unique Ethical Considerations in Molecular HIV Surveillance The American Journal of Bioethics,https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2020.1806399: (2020).