Many people live in fear of disclosing their HIV status at work. Disclosure in some workplaces can prove bad for your health as well as your career. The Positive Futures Partnership can point many examples of people forced out of their jobs after revealing their HIV status.
Why then should anyone want to disclose if they risk being sacked or having extremely private information about their health gossiped about by colleagues?
This month PN looks at the issues around disclosing HIV status in the workplace, the pros and the cons. It also looks at what legal protection - if any - is available for people discriminated against at work. We feature people who have grasped the nettle and told; some lost their jobs while others found it was a positive experience.
Living with lies is bad for you and for your health. But many people living with HIV continue to feel they have no choice. MPs are still considering legislation that could provide protection against workplace discrimination for people with HIV from the point of diagnosis. PN urges them not to fail people living with HIV and other disabilities by wavering in their support for this change in the law.
Last month we ran a letter from Pamela Mushore which provoked a strong response from some readers who felt we were wrong to publish it (see www.ukcoalition.org/discus and this month’s letter’s page). We are sorry if the decision caused offence - that was never our intention. Views expressed in the letter are in no way shared by the PN team or by the UKC.
The decision to publish was not taken lightly but after much heart searching. The letter in question was sent in response to a brave article by the Rev Jide Macaulay (Speak Up PN103) that gave a rare voice to gay African men. It urged tolerance and reminded us that ‘we are all in this together’. People with HIV are a wide and diverse community united only by the virus. Some hold views that others feel are unacceptable and offensive. But there is also much to learn from each other. For example, gay men have much to share about fighting for the rights of positive people in the UK - while the African community can provide a vital insight into what is happening at the coalface of the global epidemic. With this in mind, surely our energies are better spent fighting for the rights of all people living with HIV rather than dwelling on our differences?
Amanda Elliot, managing editor
