My employer should tell me if you've got HIV!

Mary - posted on 02/22/2011

Christina, you can be actively employed as a nurse, physician, dentist or any other hands-on caregiver even if you are HIV positive. I think there was a time, back in the eighties and early nineties, when those with HIV were banned, but that is no longer the case.

I hate to break it to those of you against this, but caregivers are just as human as the rest of you, and are entitled to the same rights as the rest of society, including that of privacy. If your nurse or neurologist is HIV positive, you most likely will never know about it.

Jayde - posted on 02/21/2011

It's None of my business to know who or if someone has it but all i know is Australian Defence force do not employ people with HIV for safety reasons. You have a blood test with your initial medical exam but after that medical if someone contracts it & doesnt say anything then no one would know i suppose...

Amber - posted on 02/21/2011

I wouldn't think that it was any of my business.
As for physicians, I wouldn't care if it was my GP. All she does is give us check-ups and write prescriptions. I wouldn't want anybody doing anything major though.

I looked it up from what I could find, the law says that people in the medical field do not have to disclose their own personal medical information unless they perform invasive procedures; then they must inform the patient before the procedure.

Christina - posted on 02/20/2011

I work in the health care field as a nurse. Most places will not keep you employed if you are HIV positive because it is a liability. Laws might have changed, but when I went through school to be a nurse, I know that you couldn't practice if you were HIV positive.

Lacye - posted on 02/18/2011

I wouldn't really care to be informed unless I worked in a medical field. That would be about it. other wise it's nobody's business unless they were having sex

Sherri - posted on 02/18/2011

Oh and no I wouldn't want to know if someone had HIV and I also don't think it is anyone elses business. I also though do not think medical professionals dentists or doctors with HIV should be permitted and I would not feel comfortable other than that I can't imagine any other profession it would be an issue.

I never wear gloves if I am helping someone else. The risk is slim to none that they have anything I am going to catch and

Sherri - posted on 02/18/2011

Remember that nobody really knew anything about HIV in the US until the 1980's. So anybody in their mid 40's or older. Never ever learned anything about HIV in school. It was only beginning to be taught in highschool when I began as a freshman in 1986.

Lesa - posted on 02/18/2011

I think their stats are skewed, as usual with statistics!

Candi - posted on 02/18/2011

Whenever I go to an amusement park, I carry a little first aid kit with me. You never know when a kid will skin a knee and need a bandaid and they have no clue where a first aid station is. One time when I took my kids, a little kid was sitting on a sidewalk crying holding a bleeding knee. Before helping him, I put my gloves on (non latex, sterile), cleaned it and put a spongebob bandaid on it. When we walked away, my youngest asked me why I wore gloves. I told her it was for my protection and the kids' protection. I'm sure the kid was disease-free and I had no open wounds, so catching something was minimal at most, but you just can't take chances. I even threw on gloves before helping the neighbor's kid when he fell in my driveway. Hey, you just never know! Better to be safe than sorry

Rosie - posted on 02/18/2011

i'm not sure how i feel. i think it should be known in case that person gets hurt and people start touching their blood or something.
at the same time, i have a friend who has AIDS and i'm sure that with all the ignorance out there if his coworkers knew his status that there would plenty of discrimination, and harassment. maybe just letting immediate supervisors know? IDK.

Toni - posted on 02/18/2011

That's why I found the results so alarming because it was repeatedly taught to me over and over again, how you can catch it, how to protect yourself against it and the myths that surround catching it.

For first aid we have always been taught to put gloves on but where possible use the person to stem their own bleeding, so if they've cut their arm get them to use their good hand to apply pressure to the wound - thus limiting the amount of contact we have with the blood.

I wouldn't be too concerned about a general doctor having HIV the contact they have with us is minimal really but I do agree a surgeon could be a little risky as it has been known for them to cut themselves accidently during surgery, although I would guess unless it was a major cut the risk of infection would be fairly low.

If my kids teacher had HIV it wouldn't bother me in the slightest again the contact they have with the children doesn't really put the children at risk of infection, I would also imagine if a teacher did have HIV they would take major precautions when dealing with a child with an injury, and woud probably not go anywhere near them due to the very small risk of infection, unless they absolutely had to. I do feel that the majority of people with this illness are very considerate of others and not passing it on.

Amy - posted on 02/18/2011

In my field I could care less if a co-worker had HIV. It happens, and it's sad.

I might be a little conserned if my kids teacher was HIV Positive though. I'm not sure why, but it would just make me un-easy. i agree about the Dr's and medical field too, i wouldn't want a dr who is HIV Positive.

And I agree, where were these people during health class? I didn't pay attention in class, but they told us many times over and over in school for every year until we graduated (starting at 4th or 5th grade I believe).

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 02/18/2011

Factories that have such risks are supposed to have "teams" in place to respond when something like that happens. In fact, I think many workplaces do. They have to train a certain number of employees on first-aid, CPR, AED, etc. One of the first things taught in first-aid is blood born pathogens and how to protect yourself and the victim. I took all these classes for school (to teach early childhood) and we were trained to ALWAYS put on gloves first. Many people think that's wrong when someone is bleeding, but you still need to protect yourself and the child. For this reason I carry a small first aid kit in my diaper bag and it has a pair of sterile gloves in it. I don't want to hesitate to help someone because they're bleeding, but I also need to watch out for myself.

Jackie - posted on 02/18/2011

What if said person worked in a factory and got injured and was out cold and there was blood everywhere? I think in a situation where there are risk of injuries, it might not be a bad idea to have something in place. In an office, it's probably not necessary.

Teresa - posted on 02/18/2011

Really? Maybe these people just weren't paying attention in school cuz we learned all that in the 5th or 6th grade....

For most professions.... no. It's their business. I'm iffy on the medical professions one (like for surgeons) though. Granted, the risk may be small, but it's still a risk w/ all that blood and stuff going around. What if by some freak accident the surgeon gets cut?

Candi - posted on 02/18/2011

Its nobody's business really (except partners of course). I think a blood test should be required before hiring anyone in the medical field though. I mean I wouldn't want an infected person as my doctor or dentist. Too much blood and open wounds for that. But for just normal everyday jobs, it should be kept silent. Thats how discrimination and isolation and harassment start

Jaime - posted on 02/18/2011

Nope, it wouldn't change how I feel about working with that person to know or not know. I agree that making sure the first aiders are aware for health and safety reasons is a good idea, but certainly not mandatory. Sex partners should have full disclosure...that goes without saying.

Danielle - posted on 02/18/2011

No I do not think it's any of my business. I know it's serious but unless you plan on sleeping with that person. I think it's to their discrestion who they tell.

Krista - posted on 02/18/2011

No, I wouldn't expect to be informed by my company. I would expect that person to inform his or her sex partners, but that would be it.