Ethically providing Routine HIV testing services to bereaved populations

Background:The delivery of public health policies may be in conflict with individualism.Objectives:To propose measures to ethically provide routine HIV testing services to persons visiting a funeral home.Research design:A document analysis of study documents and presentations made to an institutional review board.Participants and research context:Institutional review board members (both lay and professionals) and Study investigators attending an `open session' where study investigators were invited to elaborate on some study procedures.Ethical considerations:Identities of all parties were anonymized.Findings:Opt-out approaches to HIV testing, grief counseling, relational ethics, and a modular consenting process were proposed to safeguard clients' autonomy. The golden-rule approach and protective empowering were suggested to protect clientele beneficence.Discussion and conclusion:It is possible to ethically provide universal HIV testing and counseling services among grieving populations in this setting; el...