Accepted practice was cited as supporting this decision. The court took another view. It ruled that best practice by professional standards does not necessarily express the best interest of the patient. While state and commonwealth AIDS publications acknowledge the requirement of informed consent and the right to refuse treatment, the approach to AIDS is largely paternalistic. The harmful effects of recreational drugs are not mentioned.
Hearsay suggests that considerable pressure is sometimes brought to bear.
Patients are apparently made to feel that if they do not accept the therapy, they are letting the doctor down and may jeopardise their future care. This indeed is typical clinical experience regardless of illness, and it is the reason why gay health advocates have insisted on the right to refuse treatment. Public pronouncements of leading AIDS doctors are a guide to physician attitudes that patients are likely to encounter in the clinic. Some months ago press coverage of the challenge to the orthodoxy brought a flurry of public statements. The question about HIV is not under debate except by the loony fringe.