Colleagues Does anybody have specific policies, procedures and opinions with regards to sharing information about employees with certain medical conditions e.g. HIV in day to day working with the employees around them Circumstance: Person with HIV has been honest and up front about their condition and they simply want to start work ---- this is not a NHS situation or similar it is a day to day job but with people and children in proximity and we now know that HIV is more easily transmitted and thus caught than was origionally thought/broadcast NB: As far as I am aware the HSE has yet to issue specific information about such situations and answer questions about the subject area

J TA! whilst I have that HSE info your worthy comment; - "........with those who need to know if it is absolutely essential for control measures ......." is VVIP and understood. However I have specifically asked the HSE to confirm this very important point as it does not address the area in the afore noted guidance thanks again

You may also need to consider that disclosure of sensitive medical/sexual/social information is regulated. The risks attached to cross infection with HIV are extremely low. For instance, Chlamydia is over 30 times as infectious, and is best described as endemic. Hep C has a similar profile as HIV, and if untreated is as likely to lead to premature death.

bob, Your post seems to imply that you think there is a risk to employees working with someone with HIV. Outside of a clinical (medical) setting I would NOT consider this to be the case. The main concern over HIV would be if someone is undertaking 'exposure prone procedures/EPP' as a doctor/dentist/midwife etc and there is clear guidance on what these are. There is otherwise little risk to employees in other workplace settings. In a medical setting, someone would need to be passed fit by occupational health first to undertake EPP. As others have pointed out good practice is not to disclose any medical information unless absolutely necessary. Even in a medical setting all I would say is that someone cannot undertake EPP without specifically mentioning HIV. This should be covered under you company's equality/diversity/fitness for work policies/etc. If you don't have them then speak with HR/look at ACAS website. The first aid argument is nonsense. You should adopt universal procedures to reduce the chance of a blood bourne virus exposure in any case - so first aiders DO NOT NEED to know someone's HIV status. I would add that HIV still has a stigma and that if the employee in question chooses to let his colleagues know then this should be good in reducing stigma in totality... but it should be their decision (not the businesses) and they should be aware that other employees (rightly or wrongly) might hold unothodox views. If you want to present any evidence contrary to my post, then I am happy to address it directly. Regards, Mark DOI Consultant in Occupational Medicine

I've always advised to consider all body fluids as infectious so no need to advise anyone of any illness/condition you or they may have. When a previous employee with HIV cut herself with a knife the first aider went to touch her without gloves, person stopped them. Other medical conditions e.g. diabetes, epilepsy, allergies etc disclosure, or not, is after discussion between employee and their manager as to whether they need someone else to know to administer epi pen etc. p.s. when it came out that above mentioned person had HIV some people were very bigoted (possibly afraid). Lilian