Seropositive Doctor
Does anybody know how I should face the following dilemma?
I am an HIV positive doctor and I remain undetectable. I want to work in the NHS. According to the regulation when hired I have to disclose my HIV status to the occupational physicians.
However, during my registration to the General Medical Council, a requirement for any doctor that wants to work in the UK, there is a question asking for transmittable diseases.
Should I ignore it? If so, isn't there any possibility that they will learn from the occupational colleagues? If I disclose my status won't it be risky for possible job rejections?
If what I am asking is too specific could anybody inform please where I should ask for more details without exposing my status?
Is anyone here in the community familiar with resources or guidelines in the UK?
First, I am so sorry you are in this position and having to navigate these questions without much guidance. We won't be able to provide you any legal advice here but can hopefully direct you to some resources that can. There is so much misinformation and misunderstanding about transmission, and I am sure you are running into lots of barriers here.
We do have information on legal support and navigating laws ( https://h-i-v.net/legal-assistance ), but I think it is mostly US based and may not include any guidelines related to your licensing board. The Global Commission on HIV and the Law ( https://h-i-v.net/living/global-commission ) may be able to refer you to someone if you reach out to them directly.
In the meantime I'll reach out to our editorial team to see if we can look into this topic further. Please keep us posted and continue to ask questions here, I hope someone can help. - Liz (Team Member)
Alafia (Peace) Anastsa WOW, Thank you for reaching out to us. Thank you for trusting this forum with your dilemma. Ultimately I think you have to make this decision for yourself. I do think your information will remain confidential. I would trust the process. Please stay connected to us and let us know how things work out for you. Khafre (H-I-V.net Team Member)
Alafia (Peace) Can you share how you are feeling since your post? I have been thinking about you and want to know just how you are doing. Khafre (H-I-V.net Team Member)
