Jewish biomedical ethics and care of the AIDS patient

Jewish biomedical ethics form part of the broader Judeo-Christian ethical system that prescribes appropriate social conduct for most Americans. They are based on law(halachah) that is derived from the Hebrew Bible and its interpretations. The principle on which they center is that every person is sanctified by God and therefore of infinite value. Therefore, every effort must be made to preserve and protect human life. The management of the patient with AIDS engenders many problems of an ethical nature. An appreciation of the Judaic solutions to these problems may assist physicians caring for patients with AIDS in making their management decisions.