It seems like that for HCW, people have a lack of knowledge about HIV, I'm not just referring to this thread, but also my class.
You are a HCW, You have an obligation to treat every patient that requires your assistance.
If your a evangelical christian, you may not be obligated to perform abortions, but you cannot refuse a 16 year old birth control, just because you think she should be abstinent.
Trying to make a point there I guess.
Just saying, treat the patient, if your paranoid, wear all the gear you can, but give that patient the same care you would give anyone else.
Most patients with HIV, you won't know, because the likelihood is they won't know.
In class, they tell us to treat everyone as if they have infectious disease.
We work in healthcare, we must maintain constant high alert for infectious diseases. Would be the same for cops and weapons, CIA and bombs, etc.
This is your job, We are here to save lives, Obviously your safety comes first, but if you take the right precautions and know what your doing the likelihood of contracting a virus like AIDS is very slim. A statistic for you is this, from my EMT-B book, "The likelihood of contracting HIV from getting stuck with a needle which has been used on an HIV-positive patient is 0.5%." That is a very low number, and multiple that by how often you will be stuck with a used needle, by the how likely it is the patient is HIV+.
Your risk is relatively low, again, it's up to you for BSI and necessary precautions.
Yes, in closing, I'm not even a Basic yet, but to me this seems like common sense. To comment on another guy's statement above, I also have never heard a discussion of refusing HIV+ patients from any physicians or nurses.
Thank You.