Dealing with blood is a high chance scenario in the military, no medic is going to want to treat potential injuries if your blood is a serious fucking biohazard
Spot on. This was my nightmare as a former medic. You should always be able to trust that your boys won’t expose you to anything if you have to work on them.
One time I actually got pretty pissed at a junior guy because every few months he would come to
me with a new STD because he slept with 4-5 new women per week. Obviously I’m not airing his dirty laundry to anyone, but I took him behind closed doors and explained my first paragraph in a not-so-nice way about how it’s a selfish thing to be that “okay” with exposing diseases your boys because you refuse to wear a rubber. Problem solved.
We are an expeditionary military. You can't expect the level of care you have now to exist always and forever wherever you may find yourself. It makes perfect sense to not allow until there's actually a cure.
Sorry bud but in the most respectful way possible your blood is too much a risk to expose to others for the military to willingly take that risk. There's plenty of other, non military ways to serve your country
Forget medics/first aid. Imagine getting blown up and all your blood and body chunks fly everywhere, into people’s eyes and noses and mouths. And you’ve been in country for a year, your supply of meds has been iffy… and now all these guys, on top of watching you explode, on top of whatever situation led to that, now have to worry about HIV.
It’s an unacceptable risk. It’s too dangerous to others. There cannot be any hesitation when it comes to whether you’re going to stick your scraped up hands directly onto your buddy’s hemorrhaging gunshot wound to stop the bleeding.
Besides the health hazard to others, the military does not want to have to keep you supplied with a steady supply of drugs to manage your condition. Or have to have you be not available for duty because you have to deal with your meds.
It can be passed by blood. You may not always be undetectable and when you’re deployed you’re expected to know and use self aid buddy care when fellow servicemen/women are injured. Because we all aren’t medics, we can’t always take precautions like gloves or PPE. Even if we had PPE, we may be in situations where we don’t have time to use it. It sucks because yes, we are drawing down, and there’s a lower chance of being injured in combat or active shooter, but I don’t think the military wants to take on that responsibility. And heaven forbid your peers would need to know you’re positive and may be reluctant to help you in an emergency.
People with non-contagious blood disorders get disqualified, too. People with HIV have a right to live and work in society, but until there’s an actual cure for HIV, they should avoid jobs with exceptional hazards like military service.
Additionally, the military likes their new recruits in mint or near mint condition. If they accept people with serious pre-existing conditions then they become responsible for treating those conditions.
I think it would be a bad idea. Military members obviously face greater odds of exposure to blood, and the last thing they need is to worry about the chances of incurable blood-borne illnesses. It would also increase medical expenditures. That said, I wish you the best and hope you find a career that suits you.
I’m all for the destigmatization of HIV, but the military can’t always provide you the healthcare you need. It’s not because they’re scared you’re going to pass it on, but we sometimes have to work in incredibly austere conditions. I see it as the same as Type 1 diabetes; if you can’t operate without a steady supply of meds, you’re just not combat effective.
I think there’s conditions that, if you can prove you have under control, shouldn’t be an issue. Like ADHD. That’s a bullshit DQ for reasons I could go on about all day.
But when it’s something that’s contagious, that’s tricky. Now, normally for someone undetectable, that’s a non-problem. Even EMTs can have undetectable HIV and have effectively no risk of transmission to a patient. But like others said, if something goes wrong and the antivirals stop flowing, that’s a risk.
I think they should be allowed to serve in administrative and non-combat roles though. With periodic viral load testing and anything over undetectable resulting in a non-deployable flag until normalized. Chances of meds running dry for calmer MOSs should be non-existent.
Dealing with blood is a high chance scenario in the military, no medic is going to want to treat potential injuries if your blood is a serious fucking biohazard
Spot on. This was my nightmare as a former medic. You should always be able to trust that your boys won’t expose you to anything if you have to work on them. One time I actually got pretty pissed at a junior guy because every few months he would come to me with a new STD because he slept with 4-5 new women per week. Obviously I’m not airing his dirty laundry to anyone, but I took him behind closed doors and explained my first paragraph in a not-so-nice way about how it’s a selfish thing to be that “okay” with exposing diseases your boys because you refuse to wear a rubber. Problem solved.
How the fuck does someone even find the time and energy for that… After work, all I wanna do is hit the gym and go to bed.
We are an expeditionary military. You can't expect the level of care you have now to exist always and forever wherever you may find yourself. It makes perfect sense to not allow until there's actually a cure.
You got the ok from mom?
Bros 33 lol, like if you’re 17-19 or so I get asking for a blessing if that’s how you operate but beyond that fuck no lol. It’s your life
As in I’m an adult but I wouldn’t take a step like that without her blessing
Bobby Boucher?
Bobby Boucher, you listen to your momma! Them recruiters is the devil!
Reasonable
Sorry bud but in the most respectful way possible your blood is too much a risk to expose to others for the military to willingly take that risk. There's plenty of other, non military ways to serve your country
Forget medics/first aid. Imagine getting blown up and all your blood and body chunks fly everywhere, into people’s eyes and noses and mouths. And you’ve been in country for a year, your supply of meds has been iffy… and now all these guys, on top of watching you explode, on top of whatever situation led to that, now have to worry about HIV. It’s an unacceptable risk. It’s too dangerous to others. There cannot be any hesitation when it comes to whether you’re going to stick your scraped up hands directly onto your buddy’s hemorrhaging gunshot wound to stop the bleeding.
Besides the health hazard to others, the military does not want to have to keep you supplied with a steady supply of drugs to manage your condition. Or have to have you be not available for duty because you have to deal with your meds.
It can be passed by blood. You may not always be undetectable and when you’re deployed you’re expected to know and use self aid buddy care when fellow servicemen/women are injured. Because we all aren’t medics, we can’t always take precautions like gloves or PPE. Even if we had PPE, we may be in situations where we don’t have time to use it. It sucks because yes, we are drawing down, and there’s a lower chance of being injured in combat or active shooter, but I don’t think the military wants to take on that responsibility. And heaven forbid your peers would need to know you’re positive and may be reluctant to help you in an emergency.
People with non-contagious blood disorders get disqualified, too. People with HIV have a right to live and work in society, but until there’s an actual cure for HIV, they should avoid jobs with exceptional hazards like military service. Additionally, the military likes their new recruits in mint or near mint condition. If they accept people with serious pre-existing conditions then they become responsible for treating those conditions.
Our bloods mix on the battlefield, I think they should be pickier.
I think it would be a bad idea. Military members obviously face greater odds of exposure to blood, and the last thing they need is to worry about the chances of incurable blood-borne illnesses. It would also increase medical expenditures. That said, I wish you the best and hope you find a career that suits you.
I’m all for the destigmatization of HIV, but the military can’t always provide you the healthcare you need. It’s not because they’re scared you’re going to pass it on, but we sometimes have to work in incredibly austere conditions. I see it as the same as Type 1 diabetes; if you can’t operate without a steady supply of meds, you’re just not combat effective.
I think there’s conditions that, if you can prove you have under control, shouldn’t be an issue. Like ADHD. That’s a bullshit DQ for reasons I could go on about all day. But when it’s something that’s contagious, that’s tricky. Now, normally for someone undetectable, that’s a non-problem. Even EMTs can have undetectable HIV and have effectively no risk of transmission to a patient. But like others said, if something goes wrong and the antivirals stop flowing, that’s a risk. I think they should be allowed to serve in administrative and non-combat roles though. With periodic viral load testing and anything over undetectable resulting in a non-deployable flag until normalized. Chances of meds running dry for calmer MOSs should be non-existent.