Should people with HIV tell their employers?

[buttons]

After Charlie Sheen revealed he was HIV-positive, I asked myself whether the discourse surrounding HIV had changed. Indeed, the mostly liberal site Tumblr appeared to be much more understanding of the diagnosis than some of the more radical people on FaceBook.

This made me question an age-old debate; should people with HIV be required by law to tell their employers and/or colleagues? In the past, most would probably agree, or even believe those with HIV should not be working at all! But with more knowledge and less stigma of the virus, are people now more willing to work with someone with HIV? And would society be willing to be TREATED by someone with HIV?

As always, I will provide some arguments for and against disclosing a HIV diagnosis but the debate is up to you

ARGUMENTS FOR DISCLOSURE
~ in some professions, such as being a nurse, there's a higher risk of the relatively low risk of catching HIV. some may argue that small risk should be taken seriously and that patients have the right to know their nurse has the virus.
~ disclosing to your employer allows them to understand if you may need time off to recover from any illness or to go to appointments.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST DISCLOSURE
~ if staff have proper first aid training, where you are taught not to touch blood due to risk of infection or HIV, then there would be no real need for someone with HIV to disclose their condition as staff should know not to put themselves at risk.
~ one word: stigma.

The debate is now up to you! Good contributions will be rewarded with reputation throughout the thread and the member who makes the best contributions throughout the month will win the Debater of the Month award, 2 weeks VIP, as well as 250 tokens. Creating interesting member debates will also win you reputation/tokens!

This debate will close on the 9th of February so get your views in

[Empired]

I think it's probably a good idea for them to tell their employers but they should definitely not be required by law to share that information. All personal health should be strictly confidential between doctors and their patients (and sexual partners if the health issue, like this one, could have an impact on them) unless the patient makes a personal decision to share that information with others too.

The risk of HIV spreading if a sufferer is a nurse (as said in the OP) should not be a risk at all really as health and safety means that nurses, doctors, etc. should never ever ever come in contact with a patient's blood in a way that would transmit the disease.

I just think that your health is part of your private life and no one should have to share the details of their private life with their employer like that.

[FlyingJesus]

I can't see where it would be necessary to do so, unless your job involves having sex with people or bleeding into someone for a laugh. If you need time off medically that can be worked with as and when it happens - it might be a good idea to tell your employer if this is likely to happen as a show of good faith, but shouldn't be something that's enforced

[Empired]

If you need time off medically that can be worked with as and when it happens - it might be a good idea to tell your employer if this is likely to happen as a show of good faith, but shouldn't be something that's enforced

Is it right that if you have a note from your doctor your employer can't do anything whether they know what the illness is or not? Even if they want to know what it is they can't just find out and so may as well suck it up.

[FlyingJesus]

God knows, you're asking me like I'm someone with a job

[!:random!:!]

I feel it would be totally unneeded to have to disclose with your job or anyone else you feel uncomfortable disclosing this type of information in. The only people to know should be your doctors and information should be passed on if its a need to know basis and only that should be the reason to tell someone.

However it would be totally up to the person themselves to disclose this information to anyone, e.g. family, friends, work, etc. It definitely would not need to be compulsory as it is your medical information and it can only be passed on through semen, vaginal and anal fluids, blood, and breast milk. However it would probably be best to advise the person with HIV to tell partners and if pregnant tell their midwife. HIV is also is very unlikely to be aggressive until its 10/15 years down the line untreated.

Also if you was made to disclose you may find a difference in the way people, depending on your colleagues views this can be treating you better or a lot worse. It may even cause discrimination e.g. firing the person due to health issues but not telling them that's the reason, colleagues avoiding you to avoid getting HIV and even some joking about it.

So I definitely don't agree with it being made compulsory you tell people. people should be protected by the safeguarding act and confidentiality act. It is that persons health and not yours therefore they can choose who to tell.

[lawrawrrr]

Is it right that if you have a note from your doctor your employer can't do anything whether they know what the illness is or not? Even if they want to know what it is they can't just find out and so may as well suck it up.

I don't know what the national rule is but I'm 90% sure at my company you have to say what the illness is - or the symptoms at least. So you don't have to say "I have chlamydia" but "urine problems" would do fine. Can I just point out that was an example and I've never done it thanks l


Anyway I think that you should have to tell your employer if you have HIV or other highly infectious diseases, purely because of the risk of an accident. If you staple through your finger and start bleeding then the work first aiders will be looking after you and are putting themselves at risk without even knowing it which really isn't good. I know the precautions are there but people do tend to skip steps for ease and habit.

Although when you tell employers it should be kept private - just the first aiders/boss and if sensitive information like that is spread then that just isn't right and I'm sure there has to be some clause in the Equality Act which says the employer is not allowed to disclose that information so if it gets out and therefore used maliciously, the people who knew can be punished as appropriate.

[Inseriousity.]

Only if you're a porn star

[rnix]

No they shouldn't. i think it's an evasion of personal privacy and people who say putting others are risk are rubbish.
If you have an accident then the first aiders will be wearing gloves anyway.
And Unless you cut yourself and start throwing your blood at other people with an open wound then there's no reasoning that others would be at risk.

[-:Undertaker:-]

If the job is high risk medically like a nurse then sure yeah. If not then of course not.

*picks up grenade*

Tbh for all the talk of HIV stigma I don't see it anywhere. What actually annoys me about HIV is that you can't talk about it honestly and openly before somebody jumps down your throat for it even though what you're saying is true like the fact that gay people account for most/around half of all new HIV cases.