Bisexual or homosexual, we cannot judge, Dr Adeeba says on treating HIV patients
Malaysian AIDS Foundation director Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman (middle)
She said most of them were under emotional distress, felt isolated and suicidal.
“50 per cent of HIV patients will come in at a late stage. When we asked why, they said they were afraid, ashamed, afraid of being kicked out, and afraid of losing their jobs,” Dr Adeeba said this during Sinar Harian’s Wacana programme titled PrEP: The Responsibility to Prevent HIV.
She further urged medical practitioners not to be selective when administering PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) treatment to HIV patients.
“Medicine does not work that way, as a doctor, you cannot be selective, you need to put judgement aside.
“Bisexual or homosexual we cannot judge, as a Muslim, you have to treat everyone as a servant of Allah. It is between the servant of Allah and Allah, that's how I practise medicine," she said.
Recently, the Health Ministry (MoH) said they would carry out a pilot project on the use of PrEP medicine in several hospitals to assess its effectiveness and safety in reducing the risk of HIV infection.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the pilot project was necessary before the drug is certified by the ministry for public consumption.
The use of PrEP medication is said to reduce the risk of contracting HIV from sex by about 90 per cent when taken according to prescription.
