Implecations of Hiv and Aids from the Perspective of Hipaa Confidentiality
Implications of HIV and AIDS from the perspective of HIPAA confidentiality
AXIA College of University of Phoenix
The most serious diseases in history are HIV and AIDS. Approximately 20 years ago doctors found the first case of AIDS in the United States. Today, people living with HIV and AIDS have been estimated to be around 42 million people (Teens Health, 2009). There has been a report of people living with HIV or AIDS to be around 300,000 who are not even aware that they have this disease. There are approximately 40,000 new HIV infections each year and continues to remain the same (The Body, 2001). Information about HIV and AIDS is confidential and will remain that way as long as there is HIPAA to enforce the privacy of patient’s medical information (The Law office of Kendra S. Kleber & Associates PLLC, n.d.).
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is what causes AIDS. HIV destroys CD4 helper lymphocyte in the body which is a defense cell. The body’s immune system which helps fight off infections contains the CD4 lymphocytes. As HIV destroys the CD4 lymphocytes in the body, people start to get infections that they normally would not get. Once the HIV has destroyed the immune system the patient has acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).People with AIDS cannot fight off infections. There are several ways that HIV can be transmitted, such as; body fluids, breast milk, shared needles, from an infected person through semen, blood, and from infected mother to her baby during childbirth (Teens Health, 2009).
To understand the implications of both forms of HIV and AIDS from the perspective of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) confidentiality, we must understand what HIPAA is. Congress enacted (HIPAA), in 1996, in an effort to keep patients health information from being used inappropriately. HIPAA has been put into effect to protect patient’s privacy when it comes to their medical records. HIPAA places a restriction on how a patient’s
AXIA College of University of Phoenix
The most serious diseases in history are HIV and AIDS. Approximately 20 years ago doctors found the first case of AIDS in the United States. Today, people living with HIV and AIDS have been estimated to be around 42 million people (Teens Health, 2009). There has been a report of people living with HIV or AIDS to be around 300,000 who are not even aware that they have this disease. There are approximately 40,000 new HIV infections each year and continues to remain the same (The Body, 2001). Information about HIV and AIDS is confidential and will remain that way as long as there is HIPAA to enforce the privacy of patient’s medical information (The Law office of Kendra S. Kleber & Associates PLLC, n.d.).
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is what causes AIDS. HIV destroys CD4 helper lymphocyte in the body which is a defense cell. The body’s immune system which helps fight off infections contains the CD4 lymphocytes. As HIV destroys the CD4 lymphocytes in the body, people start to get infections that they normally would not get. Once the HIV has destroyed the immune system the patient has acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).People with AIDS cannot fight off infections. There are several ways that HIV can be transmitted, such as; body fluids, breast milk, shared needles, from an infected person through semen, blood, and from infected mother to her baby during childbirth (Teens Health, 2009).
To understand the implications of both forms of HIV and AIDS from the perspective of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) confidentiality, we must understand what HIPAA is. Congress enacted (HIPAA), in 1996, in an effort to keep patients health information from being used inappropriately. HIPAA has been put into effect to protect patient’s privacy when it comes to their medical records. HIPAA places a restriction on how a patient’s
References: Biel-Cunningham, S. (2003). Understanding Your Rights Of Insurance Portability. Retrieved July 28, 2009, from http://www.thebody.com/content/art32201.html Law offices of Kendra S. Kleber and Associates PLLC. (n.d.). HIV Confidentiality. Retrieved July 28, 2009, from http://www.positiveoutlook.org/PAGES/101.htm Teens Health (2009). HIV and AIDS. Retrieved July 28, 2009, from http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/stds/std_hiv.html The Body (2001). Why We Should Care: HIV in the United States. Retrieved July 28, 2009, from http://www.thebody.com/content/art33064.html