KIE:

Impending development of a blood test for AIDS has paved the way for an epidemiological study by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Blood samples from 200,000 presumably healthy donors will soon be drawn and stored, to be screened when the test becomes available. Donors and recipients of blood which tests AIDS-positive will then be followed to see if AIDS develops. The study raises ethical issues in the areas of obtaining informed consent from donors and notifying donors and recipients of test results. The plan now is to obtain consent from donors and notify them of positive test results, and to decide later about notifying recipients.