[Viva] STIGMA and JUDGMENT by HEALTHCARE WORKERS

Sat Jan 5 08:37:50 PST 2019

Hi Denise. Last year I was waiting for a cardiac CT scan and I saw that very clearly marked on my chart it said that I was HIV positive, I could read it on the counter from the bed I was laying in. The nurse felt the need to yell across the room to make sure the tech doing the test knew I was”HIV”. I said excuse me but there was no reason to yell my health issues across the room as I’m sure everyone who needed to know knew I had HIV, I also said I had HIV and that I wasn’t HIV. 
Char 
Over the years I have told various health care people when that have asked “how I became positive” that if it doesn’t have anything to do with what’s wrong with me then it’s irrelevant.  

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 4, 2019, at 12:15 PM, Denise Wozniak <deniseswozniak at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Oh my gosh.. that is so so sad and terrible Anne. Total BS.
> 
> Thanks for replying.
> 
> Denise
> 
>> On Fri, 4 Jan 2019, 12:13 pm anne bonner <thewoodbuffalo at gmail.com wrote:
>> I once was in for a LEEP procedure (cone biopsy on my cervix) at the Jubilee Hospital in Victoria. I had my appointment at a certain time but was waiting for a very long time. I finally asked the receptionist what was happening and why I had been waiting so long. She dutifully informed me (in front of other people) that because I was HIV positive, that I was to go last "because of the vaginal juices". There was a big post-it note on top of my file that said HIV+. They expected me to wait all afternoon. I was mortified/horrified/angry and had to interrupt her from speaking or else she would have just gone on. I told her to please stop talking. I waited a bit longer, steaming, and then told her I was leaving, that they should use universal precautions, and if there was a chance of infecting other people through the hospital then they had a real problem. Also that this was total bullshit, and that she was an asshole. I should have reported her AND that clinic to the hospital. 
>> This was more than 5 years ago so it's kind of an old story. Maybe things have changed?
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Thu, Jan 3, 2019 at 12:37 PM Denise Wozniak <deniseswozniak at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hi everyone:
>>> 
>>> This talk is not until April and so anything you can give me in the next two months would be great and I can start working on the talk.  Perhaps think of what you would like to be treated like and how you were treated or talked to.
>>> 
>>> As an example, when I went to see a new doctor I was told "i don't know anything about HIV, you will be getting that care down at St. Paul's" - I had to wonder how many cancer patients he said that to!!!
>>> Another case was a nurse who was in pre-op asking me if the surgeon knew I had HIV. I had disclosed to the surgeon but was horrified she felt she had to defend him!
>>> 
>>> Denise
>>> 
>>>> On Thu, Jan 3, 2019 at 12:21 PM berta vezina <bertavezina333 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>      Happy new year everyone!
>>>> 
>>>>     Hello Denise,
>>>>       How much time do I have to forward some experiences to you? The reason I'm asking is I dont have time right now and wanted to know when is your deadline is for input . 
>>>>       Thanks,  Roberta.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> On Thu, Jan 3, 2019, 11:35 AM Denise Wozniak <deniseswozniak at gmail.com wrote:
>>>>> Hi Ladies:
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> What do we want when we go to a healthcare provider? To be treated with caring and interest, whether it's a doctor, a homeopath, a hospital, a psychiatrist, a clinic.  We don't need  aggressive and inconsiderate comments. we just want to be treated like any other patient who has come for treatment.. not asked a bunch of inappropriate questions or receive rude comments.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I have an upcoming speech to healthcare workers on stigma and discrimination. Most of us have  faced it and it makes it incredibly difficult to feel confident in going for care.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I have a few incidents I've run into myself but does anyone have any healthcare examples they would like to share that I would keep as anonymous and that I could use as examples of how we need change?  I'm looking specifically for incidents in the last 5 years.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Thanks for taking the time to do this for me.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Denise
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
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