OB/GYN at a local hospital is HIV-positive

So, you actually like Americans?

Including the ones who are being totally reckless and putting everyone else at risk during surgery just because they're HIV positive?

Or is it just about people wanting to know if they're actually being exposed to risks when they go under the knife?

I honestly can't stand this kind of American mindset. At this rate, you wouldn't even let your kids go to school with a child who has HIV. You probably wouldn't even step in to give first aid if you saw someone living with HIV collapsed on the sidewalk. It’s pathetic.

Go ahead and live like that. I won't.

Besides, you have no right to pry into anyone's business. A person's medical status is their private matter.

Actually, I'll agree on just one point: maybe, for the sake of his own conscience, he shouldn't perform surgeries where there's an actual risk involved. For routine checkups, the risk is basically zero. You're more likely to die in a plane crash or a car wreck.

That's all.

Olivia Lopez10 said:I’ll gladly point you toward the nearest border crossing and 👋

I assume
- you didn't feel guilty about getting an education funded by American taxpayers?
- will you suddenly stop being disgusted when one of them shows up for a checkup?
- still claiming to be enlightened and open-minded?

-I aced my entrance exams and earned my spot. If I had to pay for school, I would have. I met every deadline and I'm done with these speculations. Go bother the slackers who spend ten years in college living off their parents.

- I'll help anyone, regardless of whether they are HIV positive. Not because of some Hippocratic Oath, but because of my own conscience and morals.
- Yes, I am open-minded and aware. But there are limits to personal freedom and privacy that shouldn't be crossed.

SO WHAT, AM I SUPPOSED TO SHAME AN HIV POSITIVE PATIENT AND TELL EVERYONE THEY HAVE HIV SO THEY CAN'T WORK AS A POLICE OFFICER OR SOMETHING?

Hannah Scott69 said:Honestly, I can't even deal with this kind of mindset... it's just gross. Like, you don't have to let your kids go to school with a kid who has HIV, or even help someone out if they're on the street and testing positive, etc...

Look, please stop putting words in our mouths when literally none of us actually said that.

Hannah Scott69 said:But, okay, I guess I agree with one thing. Maybe because of his own conscience, he shouldn't be doing surgeries where there's a risk...

Wait, Opalac, are you actually changing your mind now? 🙄 🙄 Just make sure you aren't just trying to trash us all first.🙄

Kimberly Davis52 said:Amanda Lee31, do you think a surgeon actually has the right to turn away a patient who is HIV positive?

Of course I don't think so. Look, they took the Hippocratic Oath; it’s literally their job description. And obviously, they’re going to use all the proper precautions beforehand. The patient didn't sign any oath, so they have every right to go find another (healthy) surgeon if they want.
But let's look at this from a different angle: if one out of a hundred patients a doctor treats happens to be HIV positive, but that same doctor is HIV positive and treating a hundred patients, which scenario actually carries a higher risk of transmission? Let's not get carried away with unrealistic generalizations.

Hannah Scott69 said:I'm done with Americans. Just saying. Thanks.

Oh, right. Med students. They definitely require a special kind of delicate handling. We’re basically forced to play nice and pretend to be polite just because, you know, our lives might actually depend on them one day. It's a survival tactic at this point.

Honestly though, I'm glad this is an anonymous forum so I can be blunt: Hannah Scott69, regardless of who you are or where you're from, I truly wouldn't want you as my doctor.

If you honestly believe that passing your entrance exams and finishing your coursework on schedule makes you somehow superior to the rest of us, then all I can say is—I genuinely feel bad for you. Enjoy being "better" than everyone else in your own little world! 🙂

Hannah Scott69 said:It honestly makes me sick to deal with this kind of mindset... at this rate, you wouldn't even let your own kids go to school with a child who has HIV. You wouldn't even offer first aid to someone living with HIV if you found them collapsed on the sidewalk... and so on...

If that's how you all choose to live, go ahead, but I won't.

You have no right to pry into anyone's business. Someone's illness is their private matter.

Now, I’ll agree on just one point. For the sake of their own conscience, perhaps they shouldn't perform surgeries where there's an actual risk involved... in routine checkups, the risk is practically zero. Honestly, you're more likely to fall out of a plane... or get into a fender bender.

That's all from me.

Look, you're being quite aggressive in defending the rights of those with HIV. I agree they deserve privacy, but there are limits—you can't compromise the safety of others. You mentioned that a doctor with HIV shouldn't be performing surgery. Take a boxer, for instance. If he knows he's HIV positive, he might still step into the ring for a match, but is that really okay? He could wreck the arena, and even if he loses the fight, he could end up taking his opponent's life.

To be fair, I'd also be pretty nervous helping someone who's bleeding; you never know. I'd be hesitant to even touch them because you might accidentally cause more injury. I once saw a woman faint in line at City Hall, and these self-proclaimed "helpers" grabbed her to carry her outside, practically slamming her head into a wall on the way. They did a stellar job "helping"—instead of just clearing space and carefully turning her onto her side.

Legal duties to assist are clearly defined by law. There's a massive difference between a trained professional and a bystander. You call 911; you don't start performing craniotomies on someone lying on the street.

Justin Fox said:I once saw a woman pass out in line at City Hall, and these so-called "helpers" grabbed her to carry her outside for some air, but they ended up slamming her head right into the wall on the way out.

🤣 🤣 🤣

Hannah Scott69 said:That’s none of your damn business. Just like it’s none of my business whether you have HIV or who you’re sleeping with—including if you're seeing a Black man.
😈

No offense intended, but that is an incredibly foolish take.

Should I be demanding to know if my surgeon is HIV positive before they go under the knife? Is that even a reasonable question to ask when there's a genuine risk of infection on the line? It’s a heavy thought, certainly. On the flip side, I can't help but feel that if I were the one carrying some sort of infectious condition, it would be only fair—no, absolutely essential—to disclose that to my doctor. Is it easy to speak up about something like that? Of course not. It's an incredibly uncomfortable position to be in, but isn't being transparent simply the responsible thing to do?

I find the sentiment "that’s none of your business, it’s a private matter" to be utterly irresponsible. Truly. If there is even a shred of possibility that I, or anyone else walking down the street, could be exposed to an infection, then the concept of "privacy" flies right out the window. Does one's personal autonomy suddenly grant them immunity from the consequences of their actions on the rest of society? Of course not. Once you introduce a risk of transmission to the public, it ceases to be a private affair and becomes a matter of collective safety. How can we possibly claim to live in a civilized society if we ignore such blatant disregard for the common good?

I don't know about you, but I don't take my life—or anyone else's—lightly. As a future doctor, that’s a reality I have to live by. Is it really a joke? It shouldn't be.

Hannah Scott69 said:you don't have any right to know anything about another person's business. their illness is their own private matter.

Look, I agree that whether I’m dating a Black man or not is none of your business, but if I put you in a position where you could actually catch something, wouldn't you want me to tell you? Wouldn't you want to know?

And just suppose you did get infected—what then? Would you sit there cursing the person who passed it to you? And let's be clear here, since it seems we need a reminder: we are talking about a disease that currently has no absolute cure and still claims lives on a massive scale.

Olivia Lopez10 said:I believe the most ethical path would be for the physician to proactively request a transfer to a department or role where there is zero risk of injury and subsequent bloodborne transmission to a patient.

The risk of accidental injury exists for gynecologists and surgeons alike—for instance, a scalpel slip could easily cut a doctor, leading to contact with an open wound—and I feel medical ethics dictate that a physician should never jeopardize patient safety.

It’s a different matter when discussing the obligation to treat the sick, because a doctor chooses this calling of their own free will, fully aware of the inherent risks, and has taken the Hippocratic Oath.

Patients shouldn't have to carry the burden of looking out for their doctors; after all, if a doctor loses their sight, they wouldn't be permitted to perform surgery, and they would instead be moved to a suitable role or transitioned into retirement.

Someone suggested working with HIV patients might be a viable option, perhaps because such a doctor would become even more sensitive to those conditions and develop a deeper empathy for them.

Transitioning into the pharmaceutical industry could also be a solution, given how closely it aligns with their expertise.
There is always a way to ensure the doctor remains safe while simultaneously protecting the patient.

I would never allow my child to be operated on by an HIV-positive surgeon, though I might be more conflicted regarding my own care.

I've read through this entire thread thoroughly, and I find myself agreeing with these sentiments... though I'd add that if there is any reason why a doctor cannot
perform their duties as effectively as their peers, I believe I have a right to know... especially if there is any potential risk of infection during a procedure or exam... I HAVE THAT RIGHT.

To the student and everyone else involved, I would suggest that one shouldn't raise their voice at what may eventually be their own patients... (and I certainly hope I won't be one of them).

div>

It’s the same deal if you have a surgeon who’s an alcoholic—their hand starts shaking.

...or anything else that significantly ramps up the risk.

Let’s be honest: very few doctors are willing to admit when they’ve reached their limit. They struggle to address actual risks to the patient, or even just treat them like a fellow human being.
She’s just a student right now—maybe one day she'll become a top-tier expert—but I doubt she'll ever truly develop empathy for the people whose lives are actually in her hands.

I mean, honestly? I think we should just pair up that college girl and Arslan
they’re both such absolute extremes that they might actually cancel each other out, you know? 😁

then, at the end of the day, you'd probably end up with the perfect physiological solution 😬