Abstract ID: 19013

Author: Adam Paterson

Title: HIV and the Work Place in New Zealand

Subject Area/Topic: HIV and the Work Place

Evidence based, accurately informed guidelines for employment environments regarding HIV and the work place in New Zealand are increasingly required due to myriad reasons.

Improved longevity among People Living With HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) based on substantive increases in access to and public funding of highly active anti-retroviral treatments (HAART) in New Zealand;

Improved efficacy of these treatments, providing many PLWHA with increased well-being allowing for higher participation in employment, human capital and work choice opportunities;

Greater dissemination of the research based risks of how transmission is occurring in the New Zealand context via increased quality surveillance and epidemiology of HIV and AIDS;

So why does any of this matter to a policy relating to HIV and the work place. Firstly, it is vital to set the context re how change occurs over time, and inform readers of the environments in which changes have developed. Second, New Zealand has one of the most comprehensive, fast acting, patient orientated, confidentiality cautious AIDS notification systems in the world. The protection of PLWHA identities has been a hallmark of New Zealand's system since its inception in the mid 1980's.

Work place related HIV policy needs to be based on the astute recognition of said protections as not only are PLWHA living with a life altering infection, but they are consistently at risk from exposure of their seropositive status to others in all spheres of life. In the work setting, employees must keep all information confidential that is optionally disclosed by a PLWHA about their serostatus.

The formation and implementation of an HIV/AIDS work place policy can be done by providing comprehensive information on HIV/AIDS, including; a basic understanding of the biology of HIV, transmission, prevention, treatment, testing, counseling and related resources (STIs) and is disseminated to staff through various avenues re packets, presentations, modules, scenarios and more.