Rights of HIV-positive healthcare professionals

AIDSfreeAFRICA volunteer Jessica Kim writes from her experience as HIV/AIDS counselor: One day, I had the opportunity of meeting John, a college student who was being tested for HIV. As his test counselor, I had to go through a basic outline of risk assessment, HIV/AIDS information, testing options, etc. Oftentimes, I end up talking to my clients about their worries and misconceptions. There are other times when clients would rather sit in silence than talk. Both situations are understandable and I am not one to judge as to how a person should react when getting tested for HIV, or any infection for that matter.

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John was a client of the former sort. Speaking freely about his sexual history, we talked about the responsibility he felt he held as a sexually active individual to use protection and get tested regularly. We then talked about the possibility of being HIV-positive. I assured him that HIV was not necessarily a death sentence, that those living with HIV can have sex with their partners without passing it on, and that HIV-positive mothers can give birth to healthy babies. He then asked about doctors living with HIV. What if they cut themselves and infected others accidentally? Can there be occupations that are deemed high-risk?

After all, some of us may remember Kimberly Bergalis and five other patients who were infected by the same dentist in the late 1980s. But, according to the CDC, this is the only documented case where transmission of HIV from an infected healthcare professional to a patient has been suggested. The method of transmissions or the reason as to why these patients were infected is unknown. In any case, considering the unlikelihood of this scenario, would a legal move against HIV-positive healthcare workers only be considered discrimination brought about by fear rather than fact?