The HIV/AIDS politics and the principle of precaution

Abstract

How to manage unknown risks? The governments, doctors, nurses, and especially patients and their families were confronted with such problems in face of the HIV crisis in the blood supply system. The Principle of Precaution focuses on such difficulties. The principle consists of four elements: (1) taking preventive action in the face of scientific uncertainty, (2) shifting the burden of proof on to proponents of potentially harmful activities, (3) resignation of zero-risk standard, (4) democratic decision making. But the notion of the precaution is imprecise and vague in the application of it. It needs to be 'interpreted' and specified on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, in this paper, I will apply the Principle to the case of the HIV crisis in French and examine what kind of measures to be possible. And then, I will verify the efficacy of the Principle.