This descriptive-reflexive study reflects on the importance of ethics in human care and its relation with HIV/AIDS patients, identifying the main concepts of ethics in human care and ethics in care for HIV/AIDS patients. Considering the clear need for care nowadays, current ideas present care as the human essence which is present in ethics. The emergence of Aids, an epidemic that cannot be cured yet, mobilizes society to concerns about privacy and confidentiality, including the need to reinforce ethical aspects, with a view to a better life quality for its patients. Ethical thinking is in line with scientific and technological evolution all over the world. In view of our reflections, we understood that ethics is part of our society and that human care needs to be linked up with ethics.
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; HIV; nursing; ethics