Question

Can nurses who are HIV positive continue working?

Should nurses who are HIV positive stop practicing? What about other health care providers?

Answer

There is no reason why the HIV status of the vast majority of healthcare providers should have any impact on their job. There are HIV positive nurses, doctors, pharmacists, GPs and other healthcare workers, just as there are HIV positive cleaners, teachers, bus drivers, police officers and nearly every other trade and profession.

Exceptions for employment issues only occur when there is a direct risk of transmitting HIV and usually a risk of blood-to-blood contact. This is not the case for most nurses.

Examples where HIV status can be an issue in healthcare include surgeons and dentists, who could put a patient at risk for HIV (or hepatitis B or C, or TB) transmission.

An assessment of risks by healthcare job, including recommending whether different HIV-positive healthcare workers should treat patients in England is included in Annex B of the Department of Health booklet:
‘Health clearance for tuberculosis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV: New healthcare workers’

A similar list for Scotland is at this link:
Scottish recommendations for HIV-positive healthcare workers

There are plenty of examples of HIV positive nurses and doctors, and no reported cases of this leading to HIV transmission to HIV-negative patients.

75 comments

  1. Boul

    Hiii I want study nursing in Germany but I have HIV U=U can I study there ??

  2. Josh Peasegood

    Hi Joe, i-base is a UK based charity and the information shared is most often related to UK law and regulations. The answer to the main question still stands in the UK in which PLHIV can practise as nurses in the UK.

    This will change with every country. Unfortautnely as i-base is UK based we do not have specific information about employment in other countries. I-base is specifically an HIV treatment charity. For infromation about other countries this link can be used regarding work: https://www.hivtravel.org/

    This charity based in Germany would be more suitable to contact: https://aids-stiftung.de/english-expose/

  3. joe

    Hello,

    would like to ask which agencies did you spoke to? Im bound to germany and my agency spoke to me about my status and the possibility that my status can cause my whole application in Germany. I already have my B2 and risk losing my efforts because of my status. I would love to hear some recommendations.

  4. Josh Peasegood

    Hi Bambi, as i-base is UK based we do not have information about access in other countries.

    CANFAR is a charity based in Canada that would be more suited to providing you this information: https://canfar.com/

  5. Bambi

    Hi I plan to relocate to canada please where can I get hiv drugs in canada as a newcomer

  6. Josh Peasegood

    Hi Jay, Finland has no restrictions for people living with HIV. Please see here: https://hivtravel.org/Default.aspx?PageId=143&CountryId=69

  7. Jay

    How about working in Finland as a HIV positive Nurse? Will Finland allow healthcare workers who are HIV positive?

  8. Rexor

    Hi, John
    Im also inquiring about being a nurse in germany if you are a PLHIV i was recently diagnosed infact I already disclose this to my agency and they are fine with it, no certain policy and some places and hospital are accepting HIV+ nurses they told me also.

  9. Josh Peasegood

    Hi John, Germany has no restrictions for PLHIV. For more information please see here: https://hivtravel.org/Default.aspx?PageId=143&CountryId=74

  10. John

    Im planning to go to Germany and work as a nurse , but I am PLHIV undetectable do they allow us to work? can you guys help me..

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