ArticleBioethics2025
Ethics of Identifying Individuals Involved in HIV Transmission Events by Phylogenetics in Molecular Surveillance.
Article in Bioethics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Use of HIV Phylogenetic Analysis in Public Health in Victoria, Australia: Regulatory Considerations.Journal of bioethical inquiry · 2026Article
- Community Perceptions Regarding use of HIV Molecular Epidemiology for Public Health in Victoria, Australia: Qualitative Findings.Journal of bioethical inquiry · 2026Article
- Ethical considerations and the social context of HIV phylogenetic research in uMkhanyakude district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.Southern African journal of HIV medicine · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Molecular HIV surveillance, involving the collection and analysis of HIV genome sequences, has become an integral part of public health programmes in high-income countries. By employing phylogenetic analysis, molecular HIV surveillance can identify individuals and their positions within networks of HIV transmission. While the primary aim of molecular surveillance is to yield public health benefits, such as linking people to care and reducing transmission, it also poses risks and potential infringements on individual privacy and liberty. This paper examines the ethical implications of using phylogenetics to identify individuals involved in multiple transmission events in high-income countries. Although public health responses tailored to such individuals can significantly reduce further transmission, these individuals often face multiple intersecting vulnerabilities and bear the greatest risks associated with molecular surveillance. We analyze the risks related to privacy, stigma, mistrust, criminalization, and liberty infringements, alongside the benefits of preventing further transmission and increasing healthcare engagement for people living with HIV. We conclude by outlining plausible and ethically acceptable policy options for molecular surveillance practice.
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Registered trials
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