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General FAQs
- I own a small business and one of my staff/workers disclosed that she is HIV-positive. How can I educate the rest of my staff/workers without violating her confidentiality or singling her out?
Plan and implement a workplace health promotion program featuring a variety of health topics, including HIV/AIDS. For that portion, invite an educator or an organization that specializes in workplace HIV/AIDS education to perform the training (e.g., the local American Red Cross chapter, health department, AIDS service organization, or the National AIDS Fund). You also can get the training and materials to perform the training yourself (e.g., from the National AIDS Fund). Training should be informative but general and should make no reference to any particular worker.
- My staff member/worker informed me that he is living with HIV. Do I have to inform his co-workers?
No. That would be a violation of his rights. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects the confidentiality of an employee's medical information.
- I organize and conduct meetings for our regional managers. I would like to have information on HIV/AIDS to present. What do you have?
Informational resources that would be ideal for this situation include:
Additional support materials include:
- HIV in the Workplace: Are You at Risk? brochure (call BLRS to order)
- When a Co-Worker Is Living with AIDS brochure (call BLRS to order)
You may also call BLRS at 877-242-9760 for referrals to other organizations, both national and local, that can be of assistance.
- I work in a beauty salon. Do I have to worry about HIV?
You should not worry, but you should educate yourself about how HIV is transmitted and how you can prevent transmission in your salon.
For your personal safety, if you have an open sore or broken skin on your hands, you should wear latex or vinyl gloves during contact with customers until the wound has healed. This is of special importance if you have eczema (allergic skin). If you have fever blisters or cold sores around or on your face, avoid touching those areas.
Instruments that can penetrate the skin or become contaminated with blood, such as ear-piercing devices; needles used for electrolysis, tattooing, and acupuncture; and razors, cuticle scissors, and tweezers should be sterilized or thrown away after one use.
- Can you direct me to local programs that teach HIV/AIDS prevention in the workplace?
- Search the Resources and Services Database for appropriate agencies and organizations in your area. There you will find local health departments in major cities. They often have HIV/AIDS educators who can assist.
- The American Red Cross has chapters that provide HIV/AIDS education and workplace programs in most states.
Call 877-242-9760 for additional assistance from the Business and Labor Resource Service.
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