Thanks guys. I will bite the bullet and disclose.
Now, what to do about my dentist? I am very particular about my teeth, so I visit every three months, instead of every six. Kind of weird to go back in there now and tell them I didn't disclose on my initial visit.
Boy, do I feel like jerk now!
I made a point of telling all my doctors, if only to improve the level of the care I'm getting.I definitely agree, but again that is why one must go to an HIV friendly place, because otherwise the knowledge you are HIV positive can hurt your medical care if you do not go to a good place.
My dentist looks at what's going on in my mouth a lot closer, and when I told my optometrist, she made a point of looking at my retina more closely than normal because I have CMV.
I would tell them because, let's face it, HIV is a serious pre-existing condition that they should know about because it can cause potential complications that they'd be able to better anticipate when they know.
I definitely agree, but again that is why one must go to an HIV friendly place, because otherwise the knowledge you are HIV positive can hurt your medical care if you do not go to a good place.
since getting such a good reaction from the Derm, I would want to tell the dentist~
I was just having nightmares over the receptionist sliding that glass over and telling the waiting room! Thanks again, I'm going to tell when I first call.
About finding an HIV friendly dentist, I asked my ASO if they had someone to recommend and all they had was a clinic. So I guess it will be a call and guage the reaction kinda thing!?
I know that I certainly disclose to my dentist, doctors, etc. While I don't think you have any legal requirement to disclose, they have a legal obligation to treat you, in spite of your status. I just think it is as fair to disclose to medical professionals who are taking care of my health, as it is to disclose to someone I'm going to have sex with. Yes, there will be the occasional fearful practitioner (I've experienced them, where they come at me with almost class A protective gear on) but put yourself in their place. If you were negative and treating someone, wouldn't you want to know if they were positive? If there was an accident, like a needle prick, they could take medication to attempt avoiding infection. If they don't know, they won't do that. Besides, a dentist, for example, might want to give you an antibiotic because of your status that he wouldn't prescribe a person who is not infected. This is a hard one to wrestle with. Good luck!About a possible needlestick incident, the usual protocol involves testing both patient and employee. The patient gets tested for Hep B, C and HIV and the employee gets baseline labs and also to check the Hep BSAb titer. They don't just go by not knowing. Based on the results and the incident they may or may not prescribe PEP. Anyhow, universal precautions--they are to treat everyone as if they were positive.
Ifound out through trial, and error, that I shouldn't be using Biaxin because of my Trizivir.(I think it was the Trizivir, or the Viramune one) once we switched over to a different ABX I was good as new.