A hospital affiliated with the Kaohsiung Medical University has been fined NT$30.000 (US$1,000) for performing an HIV screening test on a gay man without his consent.
Health authorities fined the hospital after it was found to have violated the statute governing the rights of AIDS patients and those infected with HIV. This is the first case of its kind in Taiwan.
The patient said the hospital performed the test on him without his consent when he was seeking outpatient care for kidney stones. He said it was a violation of human rights and discrimination against gay people.
An advocacy group for AIDS patients and HIV carriers said similar incidents have happened in Taiwan before and did not come to light until a few years later.
A Centers for Disease Control official said medical personnel must have the patient’s permission before conducting the test and they must protect the patients’ privacy.