Daniel C. Silverman

Nationalism and Feminism in Late Colonial India: The Rani of Jhansi Regiment, 1943–1945

Between 1943 and 1945, 1,500 Indian women in Burma, Malaya and Singapore exchanged their colorful saris for the khakis, breeches, half caps and boots of the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, the all-female brigade of the Indian National Army (INA). Under the leadership of Subhas Chandra Bose, Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs, members of the moneyed elite and the daughters of rubber plantation laborers shared the same food and fate to fight a jungle war for Indias freedom.

When the Patient Asks the Doctor's Help in Ending Life: A Request for Assisted Suicide by a Man with AIDS

The Supreme Court of the United States recently ruled that there was “no generalized right to commit suicide” and that states may continue to ban the practice of physicianassisted suicide. At the same time, the Court left open the possibility that mentally competent dying patients suffering intractable pain may in the future have a basis for arguing that they have a constitutional right to a physician’s assistance in hastening death. Despite the Court’s definitive nine-to-zero decision rejecting challenges to state laws prohibiting physician-assisted suicide in New York and Washington, experts observed that patients will continue to seek such help from their doctors, and in many cases, as now, they will receive it. The complex and emotionally charged ethical and clinical questions raised when patients request help in ending life will continue to be a wrenching reality for many health-care providers. One such case follows.

HIV testing, counselling and prophylaxis following sexual assault

The impact of possible infection with HIV in survivors of sexual assault has received little attention in the first decade of the AIDS epidemic. This maybe due, in part, to societys conflicting attitudes and beliefs concerning STDs, AIDS, and rape. This paper (reprinted from JAMA) presents the proposals of the Working Group on HIV Testing, Counseling and Prophylaxis after Sexual Assault (USA) for the development of policies and principles of clinical intervention in the care of survivors. It also examines the ethical, public health, and legal justifications for a policy of limited compulsory testing of persons accused of sexual assault. The paper is followed by a letter to JAMA, which argues against their proposal of limited compulsory testing, and a response from the authors.

Caring for Victims of Rape

Rape is the most rapidly increasing violent crime in the United States (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1978). As incidents of rape and requests for treatment of its aftereffects continue to grow in number (McCombie, Bassuk, Sayitz, & Pell, 1976), more health care providers find themselves confronted with the responsibility of responding to the medical and psychologic needs of rape victims. Providing care to the rape victim is especially challenging because this traumatic experience profoundly affects the individual and evokes strong feelings in the caretaker as well (Silverman, 1977). Myths and misconceptions (Brownmiller, 1975) about rape are common and often influence the attitudes, expectations, and behavior of not only the victims but the important people in their lives including their friends, families, and medical caregivers.