Barbers should use properly sterilised instruments on clients.
When people think of HIV and how it is passed on, they think of sexual intercourse. But when a man living with HIV got nipped by his barber recently, a discussion as to whether HIV can be transmitted through the use of a barber's instrument was raised.
John Brown, who is HIV-positive, went to his barber for a routine haircut and shave. His barber nipped him a couple times while shaving him. He later contracted a fungus that spread over his face and had to seek medical treatment for it.
This incident caused some people who knew Brown to be uneasy because he is living with AIDS. They believed that it was unfortunate that he'd contracted a fungus, but the situation only made them more uneasy to be sharing the same instrument at a barber.
Flair asked some persons whether it was the responsibility of the person living with HIV/AIDS to protect not just himself/herself but others by informing their barbers of their health status? And Flair asked a doctor if it is possible that HIV can be transmitted through the use of a barber's instrument?
Person's duty
Some people think it is the responsibility of the person living with HIV to inform their barbers of their status. However, it is not as easy as it sounds. If a person living with HIV reveals to his barber that he is carrying the virus, chances are, he could be shunned or brutally beaten. On the other hand, some believe it is a barber's responsibility to clean his tools properly to prevent bacteria and other fungus from being passed on from one person to the next.
But there are some people who still believe that if a barber cuts someone living with the disease and not clean his tool properly, they can contract the virus.
No need to worry
One Jamaican doctor who specialises in the treatment of persons living with HIV/AIDS, and requested anonymity, told Flair that there is no scientific evidence that the HIV virus can be transmitted through the use a barber's instrument. He notes that the forms of transmission are clear, direct blood contact (blood transfusion through use of needles, open wound), sexual intercourse, and breastfeeding.
He said he knows that barbers pose a risk to individuals contracting skin infection (fungal) if they don't clean their tools properly. But there is no evidence that the HIV can be passed on the same way.
While some people are of the opinion that a person living with HIV should tell persons such as their barbers of their status, there is no such law at the moment forcing them to do so.
The Ministry of Health's National HIV/AIDS Policy May 2005, states, "There is no justification for asking job applicants or workers to disclose HIV-related personal information nor should co-workers be obliged to reveal such personal information about fellow workers. Access to personal data relating to a worker's HIV status should be bound by the rules of confidentiality consistent with the International Labour Organisation code of practice on the protection of workers' personal data, 1997."
Names changed to protect identity.
Send comments to keisha.shakespeare@gleanerjm.com.
Discrimination vs common sense
Jane Black* does not believe that individuals living with HIV/AIDS should tell their barbers of their status but they should groom their hair themselves. She said they should be responsible enough to know that they might put others at risk, and it is about them taking responsibility for their own actions. For her, it is not discrimination but simply responsible behaviour.
Brown agrees with Black somewhat, but not totally. He said he would not tell a barber that he is HIV-positive because they would discriminate against him. But he does not agree that he should not be able to go to the barber freely.
"Since my experience at the barber, I began cutting my own hair at home," said Brown. He said his reason is that he can do so at home for free and without being put at risk of contracting a fungus through the carelessness of a barber. He added that when you are HIV-positive, a simple thing such a fungus can become your worst nightmare so for his own protection, he is now doing it himself.
Melicia Richards, deputy head barber at Upper Cut Barbers, also does not think a person who is positive should disclose his/her status. She said if they do, it could create an uncomfortable situation between barber and client. She said the fact is, barbers have to deal with many different people and they cannot discriminate against them.
"We are here to provide our clients a service and it is our duty to cover the guideline of proper sterilisation," she said. She also noted that barbers ought not be sloppy and cut their clients. She added that as a rule of thumb, staff at Upper Cut wash their hands before and after each cut. Plus, they sterilise all their tools before and after grooming. She said all barbers should practise this.
Persons living with HIV/AIDS do not have to disclose their status at work much less in their everyday situations other than dealing with potential partners.