Sir, - Writing from a completely medical background, I would like to point out to Jean Crawford (letters, December 17th) that I am far more likely to catch HIV from a patient than for transmission to occur in the opposite direction; and yet I am not allowed to test a patient for this virus without his consent.
In addition, having trained for six years at undergraduate level and for an additional eight years at postgraduate level to acquire my current position, what would she suggest I should do if I tested positive? As a public health measure, I would respectfully suggest that compulsory testing of all hot-blooded young people attending pubs, discos and nightclubs might have more validity? - Yours, etc,
Leinster Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6.
PS. I have no axe to grind. I have certificates to prove I'm negative on both counts!