Don't let the bedbugs bite: the Cimicidae debacle and the denial of healthcare and social justice.

Title

Don't let the bedbugs bite: the Cimicidae debacle and the denial of healthcare and social justice.

Creator

Aultman Julie M

Publisher

Medicine, health care, and philosophy

Date

2013
2013-08

Description

Although bedbug infestation is not a new public health problem, it is one that is becoming more alarming among healthcare professionals, public health officials, and ethicists given the magnitude of patients who may be denied treatment, or who are unable to access treatment, especially those underserved populations living in low income housing. Efforts to quarantine and eradicate Cimicidae have been and should be made, but such efforts require costly interventions. The alternative, however, can further exacerbate the already growing problems of injustice, i.e., unfair treatment of patients, inaccessibility of needed resources. In the following paper, I examine the ramifications of denying access to medical care, among other healthcare justice dilemmas surrounding bedbug infestations. I also explore the value of health, and how healthcare professionals and public officials often feel as though bedbugs are not a priority because they, themselves, are not diseases, regardless of the fact they cause physical and mental problems that affect a person's health. I propose recommendations for improving the health and well-being of those vulnerable populations who are facing a difficult and growing public health problem that is currently being ignored in medical and public health ethics literature, regardless of increased media attention and unusual habitats of localized infestations, e.g., Statue of Liberty, New York City.

Subject

*Bedbugs; *Healthcare Disparities/ethics; *Social Justice; Animals; Bedbugs; Delivery of Health Care/ethics; Ectoparasitic Infestations – Prevention and Control; Ectoparasitic Infestations/prevention & control; Health Care Delivery – Ethical Issues; Health Services Accessibility – Ethical Issues; Health Services Accessibility/ethics; Healthcare Disparities – Ethical Issues; Insect Control; Pest Control; Resource Allocation – Ethical Issues; Resource Allocation/ethics; Social Justice; Special Populations; Vulnerable Populations

Rights

Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).

Pages

417–427

Issue

3

Volume

16

Citation

Aultman Julie M, “Don't let the bedbugs bite: the Cimicidae debacle and the denial of healthcare and social justice.,” NEOMED Bibliography Database, accessed March 28, 2024, https://neomed.omeka.net/items/show/3241.