Policy 03

University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
Policy #3

The American College Health Association recommends that institutions not adopt blanket policies concerning students with AIDS or HIV infections. Instead, the Association suggests that certain guidelines be followed (specific information may be obtained from the Director of Student Health Services) and that institutions act on the basis of facts found in each particular case.

UW-Parkside's handling of AIDS and HIV infected students will be guided by the following:

1. Students who are infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), whether symptomatic or not, should be allowed regular classroom attendance in an unrestricted manner as long as they are physically able to attend classes. An exception would be the student who acquires a communicable infection that would pose a risk to others such as human tuberculosis. In the case of communicable infections the university should be guided by the Wisconsin Public Health policies.
    
2. Individuals with HIV infection should be allowed access to the student union, theatre, restaurants, cafeteria, snack bar, gymnasium, swimming pool, recreational facilities or their common areas.
    
3. Students with HIV infection should be allowed to participate in sports when physically able. Universal precautions, as defined by the Center for Disease Control, should be utilized by coaches, trainers and health care workers when bleeding occurs from injuries or abrasions. It is recommended that latex gloves be worn when coming into contact with blood or body fluids at all times.
    
4. Students new to the residence halls, as well as all continuing students and staff, should be given initial and updated information on AIDS and HIV infection and their prevention. The institution should provide such information in a timely manner and on a continuing basis.
    
5. Consideration of the existence of HIV infection should not be part of the initial admission decision for those applying to attend the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
    
6. The University of Wisconsin-Parkside does not advocate the routine requirement that students be asked to respond to questions about the existence of HIV infection. New students are encouraged to inform campus health authorities if they have AIDS or HIV infection in order that the University can provide them proper medical care and education. This, like all other medical information, will be handled ln a strictly confidential manner.
    
7. Except when otherwise required by law, any health record that contains clinical, social, financial or other data on a student must be treated strictly confidential and reasonably protected from loss, tampering, alteration, destruction and an unauthorized or inadvertent disclosure. No information concerning complaints or diagnosis will be provided to faculty, administrators, or even parents, without the express written permissions of the patient in each case. This position with respect to health records is supported by amendment to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and Wisconsin State Law (SS 146-025) and (SS 118-125)
    
8. Students with HIV infection shall have equal access to resident housing at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, except where there is a reasonable concern as to their health, current medical information does not support the existence of a risk to those sharing residence halls with HIV infected individuals; there may in some instances, however, be reasonable concern for the health of those with HIV who might be exposed to certain contagious diseases (e.g. measles or chicken pox) in close living situations. In such cases, where possible, students with HIV should be assigned a private room in the interest of protecting their health.
    
9. Federal and state laws prohibit disclosure of the names of individuals who have HIV infection. The University of Wisconsin-Parkside is not permitted to advise others living in residence halls of the presence in the hall of other students who have AIDS or HIV infection. The responsibility to provide a safe living environment is best dealt with by educational programming. University of Wisconsin-Parkside officials will make no attempt in any other setting to identify those students or employees who have AIDS or HIV infection.
    
10. College and University health policy will encourage regular medical follow-up for those who have AIDS or HIV infection. Special precautions will be taken to protect the health of AIDS or HIV infected individuals during periods of prevalence of such contagious diseases as chicken pox and measles.
     
11. Students who are know to be immunologically compromised shall be excused from institutional requirements for certain vaccinations, notably measles and rubella vaccines, as those vaccinations may lead to serious consequences in those with poorly functioning immune systems.

 

Confidentiality

As with any medical condition, care must be taken to preserve the confidentiality of a person with HIV infection. University personnel should take whatever measures they reasonably can to prevent unwarranted disclosure of the health status of any member of the Parkside community with HIV infection. Knowledge of HIV infection in any member of the university community should not be disclosed without that individual's consent except where such disclosure is required by law. All medical records of persons with HIV infection, as with any medical information, are to remain confidential. Students with concerns regarding the actions of any person with or suspected of having HIV infection should address these concerns to the Director of Student Health and Counseling Center. Faculty and staff with such concerns may address them to their immediate supervisor, the previous two individuals, or Director of Human Resources.

Education and Prevention

Policies developed by the University, and changes therein, are to be distributed to all students, staff, and faculty through the Office of the Chancellor. This information should be made available to others upon request.

The Office of Student Life and its Student Health and Counseling Center unit are principally responsible for development and distribution of educational material regarding AIDS and HIV infection and for recommending appropriate changes in the guidelines put forth in this document. In its educational material the University should emphasize the lack of potential for contracting HIV infection from casual contact, the benefits and limitations of safer sex practices, and the high risk of infection from intravenous drug use.

There has been no reported case of HIV infection resulting from casual contact in school, employment, or any other setting, nor does it appear that there is any risk of infection from such contact. Therefore, students, staff, and faculty are expected to attend class and to work with a student or employee known to have HIV infection. Discrimination against those with HIV infection will not be tolerated by the University.

Students, staff, and faculty with HIV infection should take whatever precautions necessary to ensure that they do not endanger others or place themselves at greater risk. Any member of the University community desiring information, counseling, or medical evaluation regarding HIV infection is encouraged to contact UW-Parkside Student Health and Counseling Center or the state or local health department to determine the location of one of the HIV Antibody Counseling and Testing Sites. Such persons are assured that their cases will be handled with the strictest degree of confidentiality prescribed by law.

Disease Prevention Precautions in Research Labs, Instructional, and Other Campus Settings

The following guidelines should be adhered to in settings in which the possibility of exposure to HIV infection exists:
 

1. If persons known to have positive antibody tests for the HIV virus have nosebleeds or accidents involving bleeding, contaminated surfaces should be cleaned with household bleach freshly diluted 1:10 in water
    
2. In research and instructional laboratories, surfaces soiled by any human blood or other body fluids should be cleaned with household bleach freshly diluted 1:10 in water.
    
3. Finger pricks or venipunctures for blood typing or examination should be done with disposable lancets or disposable syringes and needles, and no blood-letting devices should be reused or shared. Disposable gloves should be worn when obtaining or processing the blood of others. In instructional laboratories, no student should be required to obtain or process the blood of others.
    
4. Blood-letting devices, blood samples, and other body fluids such as urine, should be autoclaved before discarding.
    
5. Staff in Facilities Management, University Police and Public Safety, and other employees likely to come in contact with blood and other body fluids as part of their work should take appropriate protective measures (e.g., wearing gloves, facemasks, goggles, other protective clothing).
    
6. Various other departments are encouraged to develop their own protocols to respond to their specific work environment requirements.

Aids and the Preschool & Children's Center

Not one case of AIDS is known to have been transmitted in a school or child care setting. AIDS is not spread through the kind of contact children have with each other such as touching, hugging or sharing equipment and bathrooms. Children with this disease must be allowed to live normal and dignified lives. They must be nurtured, helped to grow and develop, allowed to interact with peers and encouraged to enjoy and participate in all activities of childhood.

The University of Wisconsin-Parkside Preschool & Children's Center will allow enrollment of known HIV infected children based on the appropriateness of the situation. Each child's participation will be determined on a case-by-case basis following discussions with the child's parents, physician(s), and, if necessary, local or state health authorities. HIV infected children would be permitted to attend school unless prevented from doing so because of weakness or poor health. Infected children who lack toilet training, have chronic diarrhea or incontinence, display behavioral problems such as biting, have open or draining sores, or in any way pose a danger of transmitting the virus to others, may be excluded.

In order to protect the privacy of the situation, a child's medical condition and HIV status will be kept confidential. The Preschool & Children's Center's administration and the child's teacher would be the only individuals made aware of the circumstances so that a procedure may be followed to minimize exposure of others to the blood and body fluids of the HIV infected child.

At the present time, it is not considered necessary to routinely screen children for HIV infection prior to their placement in a child care program. If clinical conditions warrant screening (as where a child is a hemophiliac or one with an infected parent), HIV antibody testing would be strongly recommended.

Procedures to prevent the spread of infection are followed on a routine basis. The Preschool & Children's Center does not provide care for sick children, so those with symptoms of illness are excluded from the program until they are well. All children should have been administered appropriate immunizations prior to enrollment at the Preschool & Children's Center, even HIV infected children, although the usual immunization schedule may be altered because they cannot receive live virus vaccines. staff are required to follow careful hand washing procedures and handle blood and body fluids with extreme caution. The measures are designed to help control the spread of all infectious diseases and maintain a healthy environment for every child enrolled.

Adults with HIV infection may continue their contact with children providing they do not have any coexisting communicable disease, weeping skin lesions, or other conditions that would allow contact with their body fluids by others. These adults must be responsible for proper hygiene and maintain overall good health.

Aids and Employment 

There is no current evidence that AIDS can be spread by casual contact as on finds in a work environment. There are, nevertheless, certain responsibilities placed on employers to provide a safe work environment for employee. The following recommendations on policy relating to employment are based upon current knowledge of the disease and law governing employee and employer rights, duties, and responsibilities.

Recruitment/Selection. The State of Wisconsin (SS103.15) prohibits employers from directly or indirectly requiring HIV or HIV antibody testing as a condition of employment of an employee who obtains a test for the presence of HIV or on antibody to HIV.

Employees with AIDS or HIV Infection. University personnel who recognize they could be at high risk of HIV infection are strongly encouraged to have themselves tested. Employees maintain the right to keep the AIDS testing and diagnosis confidential.

Because persons infected with HIV may be at increased risk of acquiring opportunistic infections, they are expected to consult with their personal physician(s) to determine whether they can adequately and safely continue to perform in their work assignment.

Employees, whether or not they have HIV infection, have rights under the Employee Right to Know Law to obtain information regarding infectious agents in the work place. Employees may obtain this information by submitting a request for the information in writing to a supervisor. Employees with HIV infection are encouraged to request this information and need not disclose their HIV status in doing so.

Accommodations. University employees known to have HIV infection shall not be restricted from working solely because of their HIV status. Such employees will be encouraged to work as long as their work performance is satisfactory.

The University will seek to accommodate an employee with HIV infection on a case-by-case basis given medical information available and with the best interests of all parties concerned taken into account. The University reserves the right to require an employee to undergo a medical evaluation by a physician of its designation. Restrictions, if any, on an employee's ability to work resulting from AIDS related complications will be evaluated with due regard for risk to the individual, co-workers or to the public.

Accommodations would typically follow a pattern established for all other ailments where communicable transmission and the disabling nature of the illness is involved.

Supervisors who are apprised of any employee handicap situation are encouraged to work with the appropriate administrative personnel in determining what accommodations, if any, are required. Operational requirements of the position must still be met after reasonable accommodations are made. Supervisors are expected to respect the confidentiality of any employee's status.

Medical records identifying employees having HIV infection shall be given special confidentiality which will include efforts to separate the filing of such records outside the purview of the regular individual personnel record system. Such records will be released only with the consent of the employee except when otherwise required by law.

Staff Training and Counseling. Updated information on HIV infection shall be provided to all employees, faculty, academic and classified staff including the University's policy and expectations of managers. The Department of Employment Relations recommends that managers and supervisors be required to attend training sessions. Employees with HIV infection should be referred to personnel for counseling and assistance on benefits including sick leave, life and health insurance, alternative work patterns, disability leave and other benefits. Education about HlV infection and AIDS should be included as part of orientation of resident hall staff and new employees, faculty and staff.

Reporting potential exposure. In campus departments where employees might come in contact with blood or other body fluids, a protocol should exist to handle exposure to HIV. Departments will be encouraged to instruct employees on procedures to minimize their risk and on appropriate procedures to take after a possible exposure. Employees should notify their supervisors immediately each time a potential exposure occurs and are further encouraged to seek medical advice from their personal physician.

Grievance procedures. The University shall communicate the availability of a grievance procedure as related to the possible discriminatory impact of an HIV infection situation. The current affirmative action plan should be expanded to specifically include AIDS as an issue to be addressed through current grievance procedures.