ABSTRACT
Since the test for antibody to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) first became available in 1985, various controversies have arisen. While its use in screening blood supplies has been relatively unproblematic, other possible functions of the HIV test have caused concern. Early tests gave less accurate results and led to anxieties about the consequences of both false positive and false negative results (Mortimer, 1988). Technical problems of sensitivity and specificity, combined with growing concerns about loss of confidentiality and potential discrimination of individuals tested positive, have necessitated more deliberate appraisal of the purposes of the HIV test (Weiss and Thier, 1988).
