I have a friend who is an infectious disease specialist. He has recently treated a woman whom we both know. It seems that this woman has had an STD (SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE) and it has not been transmitted from the husband. Now the wife asked him not to reveal this to her husband and he said he will not. She asked what would you tell her husband, if he asked about her and he said, he would just say that he cannot tell him anything except with her wife’s permission. But the wife says, if so say so, this will be same as telling him the whole story. She wants him to tell her husband that she did not have an STD (IF, he asks ofcourse). This my friend refused and said that he will not lie to her husband. Now this woman is pressurizing him to give in to her requests. He asked for my advice and told him what he did was apropriate.
Do husbands/wife have a right to know if their spouse is cheating on them?
Re: Husbands/Wife's right to know
Your friend has a patient /doctor relationship
s/he has no right to tell the husband..
however the woman in question cannot expect him/her to lie
what your friend said they would say is in my opinion the right thing to say
as for the question..does the partner need to know if their spouse is cheating on them
it depends... but whatever the case the doctor shouldnt be the one to spill the beans
Re: Husbands/Wife's right to know
Maybe she wants more love?
Re: Husbands/Wife's right to know
Yes, but it isnt the docs place to disclose this information. I think they call it the hippos oath or somthing
Re: Husbands/Wife's right to know
Well, he is not telling the husband, but u know, if the husband asks and he tells him , i cannot tell you (to a desi man), it would spill the beans for all practical purposes.
Re: Husbands/Wife’s right to know
lol hippa?
Re: Husbands/Wife's right to know
hippie?
Re: Husbands/Wife's right to know
What if that disease is transmitted to the husband?
Isnt that lady being selfish?
Re: Husbands/Wife's right to know
Do husbands/wife have a right to know if their spouse is cheating on them?
This is tough...
I personally don't know, but in such a case I would definitely put my mind at ease by asking a scholar or someone who understands Fiqh...
So many things are in jeopardy here...Marriage, fidelity, family, lives e.t.c....All could be ruined...
I would ask a scholar...
Re: Husbands/Wife's right to know
Doctors by law have to honor patient privacy. It becomes a touchy issue, because the doctor knows this irresponsible person is putting their spouse in danger. However, a doctor CAN educate their patient about the disease and the fact that they can transmit the same disease to their spouse.
If its something serious like AIDS, I think the issue of life/death supercedes the issue of cheating. If the Doctor can make the patient aware of the severity of the situation, the patient might speak to their spouse about it.
Regardless, its the spouse's responsibility to reveal the details to their spouse. Its not the doctor's responsibility. The doctor can merely say that they can't reveal details of their patient, and that its best to ask the patient directly.
It DEFINITELY is wrong of the patient not to tell their spouse about it. Not so much that they cheated, but the fact that they're putting their spouse's health in jeapardy.
Re: Husbands/Wife's right to know
Agreed with PCG here Plus
You don't hurt someone you love. If someone has that type of disease they should let their spouse know up front. It didnt hit you when you were going around having fun since now you are effected by it. Its time to face the consequences.
Jurm karo to us ki saza sehne ki himmat rakho...
Re: Husbands/Wife's right to know
he has the right to know, no one has the right to put another person's health/life at risk.
Re: Husbands/Wife's right to know
Husband has no right to know. He should find out after the wife has infected him with the STD. Imagine how easy the divorce would be for him.
Re: Husbands/Wife's right to know
Don't worry. Husband will eventually find out from someone when the whole neighbour gets infected.
Re: Husbands/Wife's right to know
^ the street name would be changed to 'herpes street'.
Re: Husbands/Wife's right to know
What about husband's right to stay healthy?
Re: Husbands/Wife’s right to know
Hippos don’t take any oaths. 
It’s Hippocratic oath.
"For example, let us say a below-age of consent](Age of consent - Wikipedia) girl came to a doctor with a sexually transmitted disease. The doctor is usually required to obtain a list of the patient’s sexual contacts to inform them that they need treatment. This is an important health concern. However, it is likely that the girl might reveal her partners were older, and this could result in a fear that they would be charged with a crime such as *statutory rape](Statutory rape - Wikipedia). In some jurisdictions, the doctor cannot be forced to reveal the information revealed by his patient to anyone except the appropriate health authorities, and they too are required to keep that information confidential. If, in the case, the police become aware of such information, they are not allowed to use it in court as proof of the sexual conduct.*
In the United States, the extent of the privilege varies depending on the law of the applicable state. For example, in Texas there is virtually no meaningful physician-patient privilege in criminal proceedings, and the privilege is limited in civil cases as well. See generally Texas Occupations Code section 159.003 and Texas Rules of Evidence, Rule 509(b)."
Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physician-patient_privilege”
Re: Husbands/Wife's right to know
It DEFINITELY is wrong of the patient not to tell their spouse about it. Not so much that they cheated, but the fact that they're putting their spouse's health in jeapardy.
^ Agree, big time...
Re: Husbands/Wife's right to know
Husband has the right to know. If it's AIDS, and the wife doesn't tell the husband, and the husband contracts it from her, then she can be charged legally.
Re: Husbands/Wife's right to know
If the doctor tells the husband she has the STD, he opens himself to legal action by the woman for breach of confidentiality.
If he tells the husband that she does not have a STD, he opens himself to legal action should the husband get infected and find out it was from his wife.
Therefore, to avoid losing his money, the doctor must maintain professionalism and refuse to comment on the case with anyone other the the patient herself.