Any advice for an HIV positive client

[Pompal 09.]

so that s Any advice for an HIV positive client

It's so common for us therapists to use OTC or prescription drugs to mask the symptoms of illness, that on any given day we might be the only one who knows we're sick.

I have to say that I *never* take OTC or prescription drugs, my partner who is also a Therapist does not either and half of the other dozens of therapists we know in our community don't either...the other half do so only rarely! Is it really "so common" for Massage Therapists and those in the health fields to suppress symptoms with drugs? My sweetie and I *never* get sick and neither does my daughter (or the other MT's and healers I know who don't use drugs).  

 Make sure that there is a cushion of time before and after her appointment so that she doesn't have to risk encountering your other clients germs especially if you have a pre-natal client that she might encounter (since they are hosts for a lot of germs, due to lack of being able to medicate themselves))

So much of the rest of your post resonated with me so well...this above part, however just doesn't seem to find a home in my mind  :-/

Following your reasoning, since I don't medicate myself (like the pregnant women you have mentioned) *I* am a "host of germs"?

By the way, pregnant women commonly take a whole host of medications; I work as a Doula and some of my clients have been on the following: Trazedone, Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Atavan, Neurontin, Insulin, Synthroid, Lithium, Erythromyacin, Penicillin, Zithromax, Diflucan and more...

Just curious if I'm reading this wrong

 

[Monika]

IntuitiveHealers -That statement was given directly by my professor who has a very large practice involving Cancer, HIV, and prenatal clients.  The statement was written with the idea that one who is pregnant can not take any medications to treat themselves if they have an infection without risking their unborn child.  I myself suffered from a horrible sinus infection and also broke my wrist while I was pregnant... and couldn't take a single thing as per my OB/GYN.  The risk is just a lot higher for pregnant women to spread their germs to an unknowing HIV patient because they can not be treated properly unless it is a life or death situation.  I would not risk having one of my HIV clients sit waiting while potentially being exposed to germs which could easily be avoided.

 

[ikbatters]

The point I was getting at was that we are far more potentially dangerous to them than they are to us. I'm in reasonably good health. I haven't felt the need to visit a Dr. since I can't remember when. I find it hard to believe that the majority of all health care workers drop all thier appointments, or stay home from work because they feel a "bit of a sniffle" coming on. Not many people put the world on hold because they have a low grade headache that they expect to pass really soon. Few have ever said, "Cancell all of my appointments, I have a bit of indigestion."  I have a strong immune system. I almost never get sick. I know that what may be just a tickle in my throat or the littlest sniffle, may be a nasty flu that will never affect me.  The average person experiences salmonella 100 times durring his or her life. But it usually only presents itself as a vague queezy feeling or transient loose stoole.  I refuse to believe that I'm the only one who's ever used a cold/allergy tab, or used the odd aspirin here or there. There are times when I know that my immune system is fighting something, but there's rarely any way of saying what.  What we with normal immune systems may pass off as a vague yucky feeling may prove fatal to someone with a compromised immune system, wether it's from HIV+, organ/marrow transplant, or whatever other cause.  Even if frequent hand washing and keeping a hygenic environment kill 99.9% of all pathogens, there's still that small but important window of risk. So, yes I think disclosure is important. And no, I dont think that a medical history form magically removes the ethical responsibility to complete honesty. If some one feels a need to lie, they should do it on resumes and tax forms like everyone else.

 

[Princess Zelda]

I agree... we pose more of a risk to our HIV+ clients than vice versa.  If they choose not to tell us their status... then I guess they are taking their chances. That's their choice, its not ours to decide.   What about our ethical obligation to not pose a health risk to any of our clients.  When we are fighting off some bug or other, but feel well enough to continue... do we disclose to  our clients, and let them choose the risk?  We all have at least one or two fragile clients whose constitutions may be more susceptible than our own.  If it would be a risk to one, is it not a risk to all.   In other words...consider that all of our clients are immuno-compromised.  If you're not healthy enough to ethically work on them, then...I agree that we have few rolemodels out there in the world for people who shut down their lives when they get sick... and hence lots more people get sick... I'm still looking for the good that comes of this heroic effort   :

 

[wildy]

Any advice for an HIV positive client

You're right, if they want to take that risk it is their choice. My insurance. But their choice.