Hiv Poz In Healthcare

[bbinbpark]

Seeing the thread asking what people do when off here made me wonder this even more.  I work in healthcare, I won't say doing what exactly, but I do work in a hospital.  I have not asked my doctor, who knows what I do this, but still curious all the same. 

 

How common do you think HIV positive healthare workers are?  I'm talking specifically about Dr's, Nurses etc. and not say the hospital cook or cleaners.

[Bear4Breeding]

I work in healthcare too.  Wont say doing what but also work in a hospital.   I met a poz doctor last year, he was retired but hed been poz since the late 80's if memory serves me correctly.

 

I think it is more common than we know about.

[seaguy]

I think it is fairly common I have worked health care administration but know of care givers who were poz its illegal in many placed to say you can't work in this job if your poz.

[bbinbpark]

It is illegal to fire people for HIV status in most places, but at the same time I think there is a certain stigma some have. 

 

My first job in a hospital, not all that long ago, some of my coworkers would make sure to pass on in report if patients were HIV positive as a warning to be more cautious when in the room.  It was not usually just listed as a diagnosis on the handoff, sometimes very prominently noted.  None of these patients were even on isolation, standard precautions applied.  Because of that when I found out I was POZ I made the decision to never discuss it with any of my coworkers.  Even my boss, who I think would be pragmatic about it, does not know.