Article 16 of the Saudi AIDS Prevention Law
المادة 16 من نظام الوقاية من متلازمة العوز المناعي المكتسب الإيدز وحقوق المصابين وواجباتهم
The article obliges all workers in health bodies and others to keep confidential the information of the infected person, and bars disclosing it except in the cases the Law sets out.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
على جميع العاملين في الجهات الصحية وغيرها المحافظة على سرية المعلومات الخاصة بالمصاب, ولا يجوز إفشاء هذه المعلومات إلا في الأحوال المبينة في النظام، وتحدد اللائحة إجراءات المحافظة على سرية المعلومات.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 16 explained in plain English
This article establishes one of the most important rights of a person living with the disease: confidentiality of their information.
Who is bound by confidentiality? "All workers in health bodies and others." The duty is not limited to physicians, nurses and workers in hospitals and laboratories, but extends to workers outside the health bodies to whom the infected person's information comes.
What is prohibited? Disclosing the infected person's private information.
The exception: disclosure is allowed only "in the cases set out in the Law." Among the cases the Law addresses in the articles before us are:
- Notifying the National Program if a suspected person refuses testing, under Article 15.
- Notifying the infected spouse, the duty to notify the other party, and summoning the other party and those in contact, under Article 17.
Procedures: the Regulations set the procedures for keeping information confidential.
Practical effect: an employee of a hospital, laboratory, workplace or any other body may not reveal a person's infection to their relatives, colleagues, employer or others, outside the cases the Law sets out.
A person whose information has been disclosed may consult a lawyer who specializes in civil cases and compensation, or a lawyer who specializes in health regulations.
Practical example
A receptionist at a private clinic in Riyadh sees a patient's test result and tells a relative of the patient whom the receptionist knows. Under the article, all workers in health bodies and others must keep the infected person's information confidential, and it may not be disclosed except in the cases set out in the Law.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 16 of the Saudi AIDS Prevention Law
Can the hospital tell my family that I have AIDS?
The infected person's information may not be disclosed except in the cases set out in the Law, among them notifying the spouse under Article 17.
Is confidentiality limited to hospital workers?
No. It covers all workers in health bodies and others.
Who sets the procedures for keeping information confidential?
The Implementing Regulations set the procedures for keeping information confidential.
More articles on Confidentiality of Infected Persons' Information and Informing the Spouse
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.