The very long latency between HIV infection and the appearance of AIDS imposes extensive
information processing requirements on partner notification efforts. The apparently
contradictory needs of maintaining the right to privacy of infected persons, while
simultaneously providing information to persons at risk of infection, impose severe
security requirements. These requirements can be satisfied by a Contagion Management
System based upon networked personal computers of a kind now becoming available. Security
of information is based upon cryptographic protocols that implement anonymous partner
notification (contact tracing) and Privacy-Preserving Negotiation. The proposed scheme
has the properties that contact tracing is automated, contacts remain anonymous, sensitive
information is kept private, and risk-conscious users act as if sensitive information
was public. Optimal health protection can thus be obtained while securing informational
rights.
Keywords
Preventive Health Services - Patient Data Privacy - Real-time Systems - Distributed
Databases - Epidemiology