What would you do if you found out someone you worked with had HIV or AIDS?
By TriciaW
@TriciaW (2441)
United States
July 11, 2007 8:36am CST
Now be honest what would you do? Would you learn all you could and ask the person questions? Would you avoid them at all costs? Would you do what you could to get them fired? What would you do if you found out someone in your work place had HIV or AIDS? I have been around people with HIV and AIDS and I have researched it enough to know I am safe as long as I do not have contact with blood and such. I have no concerns about it. I do know others that fear it a great deal and don't want anyone around them that have it. What would you do honestly in this situation?
7 people like this
16 responses
@rsa101 (38166)
• Philippines
11 Jul 07
Since this disease was found not to harm or infect other people unless have made intimate contact with him/her. I think I would just have to respect him/her. I think for as long as he/she could perform his/her duties and responsibilities and is capable of being productive in the office I would tolerate it. But then I know that this disease will soon take its toll on them so I guess if they could not perform their jobs well then I would have to maybe retrench them as humanely as possible. I know that this people will need some help somehow in the course of their having their disease treated.
@huggiebear22 (2007)
• Canada
12 Jul 07
well first is woudl stop swapping spit with them and exchanging bodily fluisds with them then get tested then carry on charlie brown.
1 person likes this
@huggiebear22 (2007)
• Canada
12 Jul 07
Thanks you cannot be PC and still have a good disscussion
Keep up wiht the good topics i enjoy them get the ole grey mass workin
@viollet_ry (968)
• Indonesia
12 Jul 07
I would just be as usually and act normal just like before I knew that as I either didn't want people to avoid me if I was in their condition too. I bet they would need support more from people around instead of showing your fear to them. You are right bout that if you didnt do any blood contact with them you will be safe. So what to worry?
1 person likes this
@stepintostep (25)
• United States
11 Jul 07
I would remember what it feels like to be a human being. And, I would treat that person the same as I would want to be treated if I had the disease. People do not realize that there are at least 1 hundred million people who has HIV and do not know it because they haven't got tested. People fear what they don't know. Ignorance is a downfall, but knowledge is power. We are more harmful to a person with HIV, that has a lowered immune system then they are to us. And remember that most powerful saying Judge, Lest Ye be Judge. That same criticism we are giving to others and that same fate we are judging others is exactly how the CREATOR is going to judge us in the end.
1 person likes this
@ngobis (237)
• Philippines
12 Jul 07
First get to know more about the disease so you dont end up asking stupid questions and hurting the person in the process. People living with AIDS are not contagious as long as you dont come in contact with bodily secretions (e.g blood). So they should be treated as you would others around you. If the person is a friend, best you can do is offer you support and not avoid the person like a plague.
@Stiletto (4579)
•
12 Jul 07
Honestly it wouldn't make any difference to me at all. I'm not in the habit of exposing myself to work colleagues bodily fluids so I don't see why it would cause any problems. Actually for all I know some of them could have HIV/Aids. It's not my business so there's no reason I should know about it really.
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
12 Jul 07
Weel to tell you the truth I really don't know what I would do if I found out that a fellow employee had HIV or AIDS. I do know that you can't get it from just casual contact. I would like to think that I would treat them just I would any other fellow employee. But really how can we know how we would react until we are in any given situation. This question reminds me of what my grandson always said when he was younger and we were watching TV. He Always gave an I would take care of the in this way. But truley wee will not know until we are uin the situation
@liranlgo (5752)
• Israel
12 Jul 07
I would be worried if i would ave to have a blood transfusion from him or her, but otherwise i would not really do anything.
I have already known two people with aids, and there is nothing to be worried about.
I did ask them all of the questions i had in my head, i always prefer being honest with people and communicating with them instead of shutting myself off and just being scared.
@buri2_jaemon (619)
• Indonesia
12 Jul 07
i think honestly maybe i will take a distance with him but for socialize i'll keep in touch with him because if we know well about aids i think we doesn't have any reason to keep him away because aids cannot pass to other just only talking or something like that..
@emckee (465)
• United States
12 Jul 07
I couldn't help but feel inwardly sorry for them I'm sure, but if they were already a friend of mine, I would do what I could to let them know they are just as normal in my book. I know some work environments are more dangerous than others but accidents rarely happen regardless and that's what OSHA is for. :p
@Yatayee (117)
• Australia
12 Jul 07
yaoyao has it perfect.
It is very sad that in 2007 some people still have silly hysteria about HIV. For instance, people still do run screaming when they find out someone has it... or refuse to sit in a chair they used, or turn on a tap they used. All these ridiculous things from fear and ignorance. People forget things much deadlier and much easier to catch are out there. Yes...
Hepatitis strains are much easier to catch. From the WHO health site: "HVB is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV." It also occurs much more often... in your workplace the odds are there are many more who have Hep infections than HIV... Hepatitis strains kill more than 1.2 million people a year and that is only the ones we know about.
Unless you plan to have bedroom relations with everyone you meet, you have no need to fear HIV in a typical everyday life AT ALL.
The only people who should worry are health workers, and again, they have much bigger issues to concern themselves with. Thank you for posting this subject, hopefully we can educate a few people out there.
2 people like this
@Juanamomof5 (429)
• United States
11 Jul 07
I have been around people with AIDS and have treated them with respect they deserve. I have, like you, been educated enough to know that by giving them a hug or being in the same room will not give me the disease.
1 person likes this
@coolblue17ann (2)
• Philippines
12 Jul 07
If I did not have enough knowledge about HIV or AIDS honestly speaking, I may be among those people who would regard them with negativity, with uncleaness.
But to be able to have enough knowledge, I think people with HIV or AIDS should be cared, give them back their identity and regard them as human beings that can be hurt. And treat them with tenderness and compassion.
