Dealing with Multiple Roles As a Medical Worker, and a Hemophilia Patient with HIV and HCV

Objective：To describe the difficulties of dealing with multiple roles in a work setting experienced by a haemophilia patient with HIV and HCV, who is also a medical care providers, and to identify the ideal behavior of medical providers towards patients with a positive HIV/AIDS status.

Method：A narrative interview that was conducted in 2009 with a male hemophiliac in his 30s, who had HIV and HCV and who was working at a hospital was analyzed.

Results:At first he concealed his hemophilia, HIV, and HCV status after receiving ‘notification of HIV’ status, because of prejudiced and discriminatory public perceptions about AIDS at the time and worries about restrictions at work, or dismissal. Then, after ‘two hospitalizations for the side effects of interferon treatment’, he quit his job, because he had experienced “a sense of crisis about revealing his health status,” which became necessary because he used public health insurance and medications. Also, he had experienced “medical workers’ true feelings” and noticed “the prejudice of other professionals.” However, at the same time, he had begun to reconsider living with HIV, and began to selectively reveal his hemophilia and HIV status. When working in a different ‘medical institute’ he talked about his illness experience and revealed his HIV status. Here, he was “accepted by professionals.” This was a turning point for him. Revealing his status enabled him to ‘work flexible despite his condition.’ However, he faced new difficulties caused by ‘confusion about his multiple roles as a patient and a medical worker.’ This case study identified the characteristic difficulties faced by patients working in medical fields. To solve these problems, medical workers should develop a deeper understanding, more profound than the level of understanding seen today.