?TheEducationofA.I.D.SDiscrimination
Employees are being discriminated against for their infectious illness known as
A.I.D.S. They are labeled incapable of performing the tasks they pursued before they
were recognized as being infected. The confidentiality of an employee is a private
matter and very personal. There are many different kinds of prejudice but not one as
deadly as A.I.D.S Discrimination. The emotional trauma and future of employment play a
giant role in the inflicted. Health Policies through job-related fields must learn to
recognize that like other illnesses, A.I.D.S does not forbid an employee of performing
his or her duties. It is the most altering form of discrimination because of the fact
that every time a person finds out they are positive, the opinions of those who surround
them are likely to change. The working class is the most susceptible to this form of
discrimination. The every day environment of an employee with A.I.D.S is also the work
grounds for someone who isn't infected with A.I.D.S. A.I.D.S Discrimination in a
job-related atmosphere is due to lack of education and sensitivity.
The infection of HIV does not reduce an employee's efficiency from satisfactory to
intolerable. An employee should not be denied employment or promotion if they are not
flawed by HIV. Some employees are not stripped of their capacities to perform even
though they are infected with HIV (Lewy 2). Why should the employee health benefits be
altered because of the nature of the disease. The majority of employee policies offered
cover catastrophic illness with only ten percent covering A.I.D.S. One particular policy
states that people do not become infected through usual behavior in a working
environment. This illustrates that A.I.D.S patients are protected under disability law
and are entitled to the same medical benefits (Karr A1). Policies must be issued to
protect the inflicted. A Department of Health and Human Services review board has ruled
"discrimination against someone who's HIV-positive is illegal" (Kolasa 63). Where does
it say that unless the infected is under employment? The main thing to understand is
that it doesn't. Eileen Kolasa reminds us of a law of direct meaning "HIV is a handicap
protected under federal law" (66). The American justice system is what decides the fate
of the infected. The challenge of bringing an A.I.D.S discrimination case in court has
become very common in the United States. Such actions have been victorious and have
helped pass revised Disability Acts which applies to all diseases (Annas 592).
Even though the infected are defended under law, it still violates a person's human
rights of personal health secrecy. This discrimination has not received attention as a
form of human-rights violation. The government and court systems have helped
essentially, but discrimination also affects medical care. Physicians and lawyers
should promote
the interests of the sick as well (Annas 592). Revealing this condition is a serious
decision to make. The possibilities of acceptance will differ in the lives of many
HIV-positive employees. Helen Lippman, senior editor of RN magazine replies:
If legislation were passed requiring health-care
providers to report their HIV status, nearly
four in ten respondents say that they would report
a suspected violation. (32)
The tutelage of A.I.D.S at a job can considerably change attitudes of credibility.
The Americans With Disability Act governs to any company with twenty-five or more
employees. This legislation forbids discrimination against any disability or chronic
disease. The interesting fine print is that it specifically mentions A.I.D.S. within its
text (Pogash 77). The policies do mot automatically make the routines of companies more
likely to accept them. Wyatt John Bunker explains from Karrs article "the gold standard
isn't whether companies have a policy, but how they handle A.I.D.S. on a day to day
basis" (A1). One of the first A.I.D.S. discrimination cases that was filed was
against United Airlines. Two pilots were prohibited from flying due to the fact that
they were HIV-positive. James F. Peltz and Stuart Silverstein, Los Angeles Times
writers, explain that "the case extends the already-sensitive subject of A.I.D.S. in the
workplace to another group of professionals whose jobs include protecting the safety of
others" (D1). Bunker's theory does make sense in the employee situations where the
general public becomes a
dynamic participant in the matter. Robert Lewy shares his view of determining if an
employee is able to perform his or her obligation of employment by a series of
guidelines:
HIV-infected workers should be treated the same
as persons with any other non-work-related
injuries or illnesses, such as diabetes or
epilepsy. They are entited to equal rights
and benefits of employment, including
available medical services. (9)
?????One possible solution is to educate the businesses to be sympathetic. The Centers
for Disease Control & Prevention have coordinated a program called "Business Responds to
A.I.D.S." Its main initiative is to involve better education by sensitizing executives,
managers, and labor leaders. If they draft new policies for their businesses, they will
be stepping in the right direction (Collingwood 46). Small independent businesses can
set their own policies but what about the large chain businesses?
The commonly known department store "Macy's" came across an A.I.D.S. discrimination
dispute. When Macy's had discovered that Mark Woodley, the usual Santa Claus, was
HIV-positive he was denied employment. They did however offer him a job supervising the
Santa Claus's, but he refused (Santa 22). Macy's tried to cover up by offering Mr.
Woodley a job that did not involve the interaction of people. The situation was backed
up by a protest march which resulted in chaos. One protestor John Winkleman states
"A.I.D.S. discrimination violates the spirit of Christmas and we will not tolerate it at
all" (Santa 22).
Some businesses do not want to deal with being responsible for someone who somewhere
down the line might become fatally ill. Insurance coverage is a main concern for
employees. The cost of treatment for A.I.D.S from the first diagnosis to death is an
amount of $85,000 (Pogash 77). The Medical staff of hospitals deal with HIV-positive
patients on a daily basis. Nurses, unlike office employees or construction workers,
perform invasive procedures on patients providing them with immediate care. This line of
duty may enforce stronger policies for their own legal protection (Kolasa 64). A survey
was taken from Helen Lippman for RN magazine. She reports "a caregiver's risk of
infection after a needlestick with contaminated blood, the CDC estimates is about one in
200, and about one in 300 from percutaneous exposure" (30). Medical officials should be
offered these protection plans, but should also become more sensitive to the subject of
discrimination. The City of Philadelphia fired emergency health physicians for refusing
to give proper treatment to patients with A.I.D.S (Philadelphia 17). If you are put in a
situation where you are working with someone who is infected or worrying of becoming
infected yourself, you would want to know what protection is offered after knowing the
rights of the caregiver (Kolasa 63).
A.I.D.S discrimination is no different than any other form of prejudice. The only
way it trails off the basic path is that it can go either way. Whether you are a patient
who is infected or a nurse who is infected. Whether you are an office employee or a
client of an office employee. A.I.D.S does not chose skin color, religion, or ethnic
background.
It will get to anyone puts themselves at risk. If you add up all the hate and discomfort
between people or groups of people in our society who are prejudiced as it is, and add
another reason to take the hate to a higher level, the problem will never be solved.
Everyone must work together and become more educated about the way victims of this
hourglass disease are treated. Black, White, Jewish, Asian, etc. Everyone has their
opposing differences about one another, or how one race or belief is dominant over
another.
A.I.D.S is not prejudice. It has a hold on many groups of these people. Health
policies are offered for the protection of the sick, but no policy will protect them from
the emotional abuse. This is why we shouldn't turn our backs on these people who are
less fortunate. It's not going to get better. We must educate ourselves to not be so
close-minded, and start to get ahead of the game. Despite all the irreconcilable
differences between different types of people who are infected ,they have one threatening
thing in common.....they are all dying. Educate not to discriminate. Are you so certain
you will never be infected?
?????????????????????
???? W O R K S C I T E D
Keywords:Pape " A.I.D.S Protesters-as-Santa's at Macy's." N e w Y o r k T i m e s
?????30 Nov. 1991, sec. 1: 22.
Annas, George. "Detention of HIV Positive Haitians at ?????Guantanamo." T h e N e w
E n g l a n d J o u r n a l o f M e d i c i n e 329 (1993): 589-592.
Collingwood, Harris.
"A.I.D.S and Business: A Plan for Action." B u s i n e s s W e e k 14 Dec.
1992: 46.
Karr, Albert. " E m p l oyer A.I.D.S Policies begin to Proliferate T h e W
a l l S t r e e t J o u r n a l 15 Dec. 1992: A1.
Kolasa, Eileen Urban. "HIV vs. a nurses right to work." R N January 1993:
63-68.
Lewy, Robert. "HIV Infection and Job Performance." U . S . A T o d a y
August 1992: 28-29.
Lippman, Helen. "HIV and Professional Ethics: Nurses Speak Out." R N June 1992:
28-32.
r level: BA MA PH Format: APA Peltz, James. "2 United Pilots File 1st A.I.D.S-Related
Suit Against an Airline." L o s A n g e l e s T i m e s 12 April. 1995:
?????D1.
"Philadelphia Resolves A.I.D.S. Bias Complaint." N e w Y o r k T i m e s
22 Mar. 1994, sec. A: 17
Pogash, Carol. "Risky Business (Coping with A.I.D.S. in the ?????workplace.)" W o r k
i n g W o m a n October 1992: 74-79.
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