One of a physician’s patients, a well-respected citizen in a small community, saw the doctor with a complaint of blood in his urine (hematuria). The physician asked the patient if he’d had any new sexual partners recently, and the patient admitted that he had. The physician explained to the patient that his urine specimen had been positive for the STI chlamydia. The physician urged the patient to discuss his medical condition with the patient’s wife, who was also the physician’s patient, but the man was reluctant.

Discussion Questions:

If the patient refuses to confide in the wife, what should the physician do?
What are the legal issues in this case? What are the ethical issues?