The main argument for disclosure when considering health care professionals relates to the idea that people have the right to know all risks, associated with their care. When a doctor becomes ill with some sort of contagious sickness they do not work because they could harm other people. However, when it comes to AIDS this is another issue because there are only certain ways which one could become infected with the disease. In turn, this argument is founded on the assumption that HIV positive health care professionals pose a risk to their patients. While the risks may be slim when taking necessary precautions, there is still a small possibility one might become infected some way, therefore, no protection is enough. So far, only one case of HIV transmission from a health care professional to patient has been documented, the case involves an HIV positi

Stryker Jeff, "HIV Positive Health Care Workers." HIV Insite. Posted March 26, 1999, accessed March 31, 1999.

Wearing gloves and taking the necessary precautions are not enough. There could be a hole in the glove which is being worn by the health care professional, or there could be an instance where in surgery the health care professional might accidentally cut their own hand or finger while their hand is inside of a patients body as they operate. The patient has no protection against these sorts of accidents form happening, because they would be unaware of these risks. Before going under the knife the patient can protect themselves by asking their doctor their HIV status. However, there are some health care professionals that do not work in such medical departments as surgery, and they do not perform invasive procedures, these doctors, for example like psychiatrists, do not come into physical contact with their patients and therefore have no need to make their status known. As for certain health care professionals losing their jobs due to the possible outcomes of disclosure laws, the population of AIDS patients are small, while the population of health care professionals infected with AIDS is even smaller. Consequently, by having disclosure laws it would still benefit the greatest amount of people in the long run since the population or people without AIDS is greater, than those with AIDS.

The need for disclosure laws can easily be represented by Mill's Princ

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