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I agree, there is no need for the schools to know the status of a student unless they have come in contact with someone else blood with their own blood. And then it should be the student who reports it to the school, not the doctors.
Does the governor think that schools should be notified when children have hepatitis B or C, both of which are also bloodborne pathogens like HIV? If not, then why single out children with HIV when the social stigma is a huge problem in this part of the country?
The only reason the school board or staff members should know about a student's HIV/AIDS status is if they are sharing syringes for injecting drugs or having unprotected sex with them. Enough said.
I realize I might fall on the wrong side of this political bombshell, but honestly, I think status SHOULD be required for school children. Uniform medical care procedure calls for the treatment of one and all the exact same, but in school yards and classrooms, teachers and administrators should be made aware of the situation they are dealing with. The number of cases involving wounds and blood is extremely high there. Now, if they do not keep the info confidential, they'll get their pants off.
dbeck
Schools keep a health record of all children - they need to know the health history in case of emergency - DUH. It is not a privacy issue, it is a medically necessary thing. Just like if your kid has asthma, you'd want the school to know wouldn't you? Why then would you not want school officials to take precautions in case of injury on the playground such as a skinned knee.
June 24, 2008 • Houston