Why should I disclose my HIV status to my rehabilitation professional?

You do not have to tell rehabilitation professionals about your HIV status1.  All healthcare providers have to take “universal precautions,” which are steps they have to take to protect them from all blood-borne infections.  For example, all health professionals must wear gloves when working near a patient’s open cuts.

However, there are some instances where your status might be relevant to your issue or treatment. HIV is an episodic condition, which causes periods of feeling well and feeling unwell. A physical therapist who knows you have HIV will be able to understand why it may be challenging for you to adhere to an exercise plan, and will tell you what to do when you feel well or unwell. An occupational therapist who knows you have HIV will understand why you may have changing levels of fatigue, and will help you plan your activities so you do not get overtired. If they know your HIV status, rehabilitation professionals can also consult material on treatments that work best for HIV+ people, such as the e-module published by CWGHR on HIV and rehabilitation, which can be found here. If you disclose to your clinician, you can trust that your information is safe; the law requires healthcare providers and their staff to protect your information.

Why would the rehabilitation professional ask me about that (e.g. sexual or substance use history)?

As we noted in the last chapter, sometimes symptoms can have many different causes.  For example, muscle tremors can be due to weakness after an injury, but it could be due to a change in medication, or use/withdrawal from a prescribed or recreational substance.  A thorough clinician will ask questions about these possible experiences so that he or she can account for these in your treatment.

Remember that you have the right to make an informed decision about what you choose to disclose.  If you have any concerns about the questions that a clinician is asking, do not hesitate to ask what part that information might play in your treatment.  Their answer might convince you of the value of sharing that particular information, and if not, you do not have to provide it

1AIDSMeds. To tell or not to tell: disclosing your HIV status. 2012. Accessed Feb 3, 2015, from http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/Disclosure_4952.shtml