HIV Discrimination

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HIV/AIDS | Discrimination | Connecticut

Does Connecticut have laws protecting people with HIV from discrimination?

Yes, Connecticut has enacted anti-discrimination laws protecting people with HIV from discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and credit. In addition, there are a number of federal laws that protect people from discrimination based on their HIV status.

Who is protected under these anti-discrimination laws?

  • 患有艾滋病或艾滋病毒阳性的人，即使他们无症状且没有外在或明显的疾病迹象。
  • Under the ADA, but not Connecticut law, persons who are regarded or perceived as having HIV.
  • Under the ADA, but not Connecticut law, a person who does not have HIV, but who “associates” with a person with HIV — such as friends, lovers, spouses, roommates, business associates, advocates, and caregivers of a person or persons with HIV.

哪些法律保护艾滋病毒感染者免受就业歧视？

People who are HIV-positive or who have AIDS are protected from employment discrimination under both Connecticut Human Rights Law (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 46a-60) and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Both of these statutes prohibit discrimination in employment on the basis of a person’s disability. The Connecticut law covers employers with 3 or more employees in the United States; the ADA covers employers with fifteen or more employees.

1973 年《康复法案》禁止在联邦机构实施的项目、接受联邦财政援助的项目、联邦就业和联邦承包商的就业实践中基于残疾进行歧视。

For more information about employment discrimination in Connecticut, see: Discrimination | Employment | Connecticut 

这些反歧视法禁止什么？

An employer may not take adverse action against an applicant or employee simply on the basis that the person has a disability such as HIV or AIDS. This means that an employer may not terminate, refuse to hire, rehire, promote, or otherwise discriminate in the terms or conditions of employment, based on the fact that a person is HIV-positive or has AIDS.

这里的重点是艾滋病患者或艾滋病毒感染者是否与类似情况下的其他申请人或员工受到不同的待遇。

以下是非法歧视的例子：

  • 雇主不得因担心艾滋病毒感染者会传染给其他员工或顾客而拒绝雇用该感染者。
  • 雇主不得基于某人将来可能生病而无法胜任工作的可能性或概率而拒绝雇用或做出雇用决定。
  • 雇主不能因为这会增加健康或工人赔偿保险费而拒绝雇用某人。

在申请和面试过程中，雇主可能会询问员工的哪些健康状况？

Under the ADA, prior to employment, an employer cannot ask questions that are aimed at determining whether an employee has a disability. Examples of prohibited pre-employment questions are:

  • 您曾经住院或接受过医生的护理吗？
  • 您是否曾经领取过工伤赔偿或残疾福利？
  • 你吃什么药？

雇主发出录用通知后，可以要求求职者进行体检吗？有哪些适用的准则？

If an employer has 15 or more employees, they must comply with the ADA. After a conditional offer of employment, an employer may require a physical examination or medical history. The job offer, however, may not be withdrawn unless the results demonstrate that the person cannot perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. The same medical inquiries must be made of each person in the same job category. In addition, the physical examination and medical history records must be segregated from personnel records, and there are strict confidentiality protections.

After employment has begun, the ADA permits an employer to only require a physical examination if it is job-related and consistent with business necessity.

法院如何处理人们对执行侵入性手术的医疗保健人员（如外科医生）会将艾滋病毒传播给患者的担忧？

HIV 从医护人员传播给患者的风险被认为非常小，接近于零。然而，在医院试图限制或终止执行侵入性操作的 HIV 阳性医护人员的权利的案件中，法院的反应却异常恐惧，并坚持一个不可能实现的“零风险”标准。因此，少数根据《美国残疾人法案》（ADA）处理过此类问题的法院都支持了此类终止决定。

The employment provisions in the ADA provide that an employee is not qualified to perform the job if they pose a “direct threat to the health or safety of others.” To determine whether an employee poses a “direct threat,” a court analyzes:

  • 风险的性质、持续时间和严重程度；
  • 风险的概率；以及
  • 是否可以通过合理的安排消除风险。

然而，在涉及HIV阳性医护人员的案件中，法院忽视了风险发生的可能性极小，而专注于风险的性质、持续时间和严重程度。以下摘自近期一个案例，体现了法院的典型做法：

“We hold that Dr. Doe does pose a significant risk to the health and safety of his patients that cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation. Although there may presently be no documented case of surgeon-to-patient transmission, such transmission clearly is possible. And, the risk of percutaneous injury can never be eliminated through reasonable accommodation. Thus, even if Dr. Doe takes extra precautions… some measure of risk will always exist…” (Doe v. University of Maryland Medical System Corporation, 50 F.3d 1261 (4日 巡回法院，1995 年）。

It is important to note that only a small number of courts have addressed the rights of HIV-positive health care workers. The AIDS Law Project believes that these cases have been incorrectly decided and are inconsistent with the intent of Congress in passing the ADA. Because of the unsettled nature of the law in this area, a health care worker who is confronted with potential employment discrimination should consult a lawyer or public health advocate.

评估雇主的歧视

虽然咨询律师可能会有所帮助，但以下步骤可以帮助您开始考虑和评估潜在的就业歧视问题。

  1. Consider the difference between unfairness and illegal discrimination. The bottom line of employment law is that an employee can be fired for a good reason, bad reason, or no reason at all. A person can be legally fired for a lot of reasons, including a bad “personality match.” What they cannot be fired for is a 歧视性的 法律明确禁止的原因。
  2. 为了证明歧视索赔（即，您因歧视而不是某些正当理由而被解雇、降职等），您必须能够证明以下内容：
    • 雇主知道或得知您是艾滋病毒阳性或患有艾滋病；
    • 无论是否有合理的便利条件，您都具备履行该工作基本职责的资格；并且
    • 由于您的 HIV 或艾滋病状况而对您采取了不利措施，并且雇主给出的不利措施借口是虚假的。
  1. 如果您的雇主知道您感染了艾滋病毒或艾滋病，请明确说明谁知道、他们是如何知道的以及他们何时发现的。如果您没有告诉雇主，雇主还有其他途径知道或怀疑您的艾滋病毒状况吗？
  2. 考虑一下您认为自己因艾滋病毒感染状况而受到区别对待的原因，包括以下方面：
    • 处于类似情况的其他员工是否受到了不同的待遇或相同的待遇？
    • 您的雇主是否遵守了其人事政策？
    • 雇主得知您的艾滋病毒状况后不久就开始对您进行不利的待遇了吗？
    • 您是否曾因病缺勤过一段时间，并且返回工作岗位后是否开始受到不良治疗？
    • 你的雇主对此事的描述是怎样的？你该如何证明雇主的说法是错误的？
  1. 您是否因任何与艾滋病毒相关的健康或医疗问题而难以履行工作职责？您的病情是否妨碍您全职工作，或者需要请假去看医生、做些轻松的工作或找个压力较小的工作？您可以尝试集思广益，想出一个合理的安排，并向雇主提出。以下是一些您可以考虑的要点：
    • 该公司如何运作？实际的住宿安排如何？
    • 站在主管的角度想想，对于你提出的合理安排，主管可能会提出哪些异议？例如，如果你需要在某个时间离开去看医生，谁来接替你的工作？

哪些法律禁止住房歧视？

It is illegal under both Connecticut law (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 46a-64c) and the National Fair Housing Amendments of 1989, to discriminate in the sale or rental of housing on the basis of HIV status. A person cannot be evicted from an apartment because of his or her HIV or AIDS status, or because he or she is regarded as having HIV or AIDS.

For more information about housing discrimination in Connecticut, see: Discrimination | Housing | Connecticut

Are there exceptions to the housing anti-discrimination laws?

Yes, Connecticut law exempts a rental portion of a single-family dwelling if the owner maintains and occupies part of the living quarters as his or her residence, or for the rental of a unit in a residence that has four or fewer apartments when the owner occupies one apartment. In addition, the Fair Housing act exempts, in some circumstances, ownership-occupied buildings with no more than four units, single-family housing sold or rented without the use of a broker and housing operated by organizations and private clubs that limit the occupancy to members.

Do Connecticut laws protect against discrimination by health care providers, businesses, and other public places?

Yes, under Connecticut law (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 46a-64), and the ADA, it is unlawful to exclude a person with HIV from a public place (what the law refers to as a “public accommodation”) or to provide unequal or restricted services to a person with HIV in a public place. Under both statutes, the term “public accommodation” includes any establishment or business that offers services to the public.

因此，艾滋病毒感染者在几乎所有公共场所或企业都受到保护，免受歧视，包括酒吧、餐馆、酒店、商店、学校、职业或其他教育项目、出租车、公共汽车、飞机和其他交通工具、健身俱乐部、医院以及医疗和牙科诊所，只要这些设施通常向公众开放。

For more information about public accommodations discrimination in Connecticut, see Discrimination | Public Accommodations | Connecticut

歧视艾滋病毒感染者的医生会提出哪些类型的论点？这些论点是否合理？

医生通常试图用以下两个论点之一来证明对艾滋病毒感染者的歧视是合理的：

  • “治疗艾滋病毒感染者是危险的”（一些医生出于对艾滋病毒传播的非理性恐惧而拒绝治疗艾滋病毒感染者）；
  • “治疗艾滋病毒感染者需要特殊的专业知识”（一些医生错误地认为全科医生没有资格为艾滋病毒感染者提供护理，因此将患者转诊给其他医疗服务提供者）。

Both an outright refusal to provide medical treatment and unnecessary referrals on the basis of a person’s disability are unlawful under the ADA and Connecticut law.

法院和医学专家对这些论点作何反应？

法院和医学专家对这些论点作出了如下回应：

  1. “治疗艾滋病毒感染者是危险的”

Doctors and dentists may claim that a refusal to treat a patient with HIV is legitimate because they fear they might contract HIV themselves through needle sticks or other exposures to blood.  However, studies of health care workers have concluded that risk of contracting HIV from occupational exposure is minuscule, especially with the use of universal precautions.

因此，1998年，美国最高法院就此案作出裁决 布拉格登诉阿博特案 医疗保健提供者不能因担心或害怕艾滋病毒传播而拒绝治疗艾滋病毒感染者（524 US 624 (1998)）。

除了法律层面，美国医学会、美国牙科协会以及许多其他专业医疗保健组织都发布政策，认为拒绝为艾滋病毒感染者提供治疗是不道德的。

  1. “治疗艾滋病毒感染者需要特殊的专业知识”

在这些情况下，歧视索赔的是非曲直取决于基于客观医学证据，患者所需的服务或治疗是否需要转诊给专科医生，或者是否属于服务提供者的服务和能力范围。

在 美国诉莫万特案，一家联邦审判法院驳回了一名牙医的诉求，该牙医声称艾滋病毒感染者需要专科医生进行常规牙科护理（898 F. Supp. 1157 (ED La 1995)）。法院采纳了专家的证词，即除了普通牙医所具备的技能外，无需任何其他特殊培训或专业知识即可为艾滋病毒感染者提供牙科治疗。法院特别驳回了该牙医的论点，即他不具备资格，因为他没有及时掌握治疗艾滋病毒感染者所需的文献和培训。虽然此案发生在牙科护理的背景下，但它也适用于其他医疗环境。

《美国残疾人法案》中有哪些具体条款禁止医疗保健提供者歧视？

根据《美国残疾人法案》第三章（42 USC §§ 12181-12188），医疗保健提供者的以下行为属于违法行为：

  1. 剥夺艾滋病病毒感染者“充分、平等地享受”医疗服务的权利，或者剥夺艾滋病病毒感染者与其他患者一样“受益”医疗服务的机会。
  2. 建立接受医疗服务的“资格标准”，往往会筛选出艾滋病毒检测呈阳性的患者。
  3. 为艾滋病病毒阳性患者提供“不同或单独”的服务，或未能在“最综合的环境中”为患者提供服务。
  4. 拒绝向已知与艾滋病毒感染者有“关系”或“交往”的人（如配偶、伴侣、子女或朋友）提供平等的医疗服务。

哪些具体的医疗保健行为构成对艾滋病毒感染者的非法歧视？

将上述 ADA 的具体规定应用于医疗保健实践，以下做法是违法的：

  • 医疗保健提供者不能因为认为存在艾滋病毒传播风险或只是因为医生不愿意治疗艾滋病毒感染者而拒绝治疗艾滋病毒感染者。
  • 医疗保健提供者不能仅仅因为患者感染了艾滋病毒就同意仅在医生常规办公室以外的治疗环境（例如专科医院诊所）中为患者进行治疗。
  • 除非所需治疗超出医生的常规执业范围或专业范围，否则医疗保健提供者不得将 HIV 阳性患者转诊至其他诊所或专科医生。ADA 要求 HIV 阳性患者的转诊应与其他患者的转诊相同。但是，如果患者的 HIV 相关疾病超出了医疗服务提供者的执业能力或服务范围，则可以将患者转诊至专科护理机构。
  • 医疗保健提供者不得为了在强制规定的职业安全与健康管理局 (OSHA) 和疾病预防控制中心 (CDC) 感染控制程序之外采取额外预防措施而增加 HIV 阳性患者的服务费用。在某些情况下，采取不必要的额外预防措施甚至可能违反《美国残疾人法案》(ADA)，因为这些措施往往会仅仅因为 HIV 感染状况而使患者蒙受耻辱。
  • 医疗保健提供者不能限制治疗艾滋病毒阳性患者的预定时间，例如坚持要求艾滋病毒阳性患者在一天结束时来就诊。

康涅狄格州反歧视法对信贷有哪些保护？

Any person who “regularly extends or arranges for the extension of credit” for which interest or finance charges are imposed (e.g. a bank, credit union, or other financial institution), may not discriminate because of HIV status in any credit transaction (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 46a-66).

For more information about credit and lending discrimination in Connecticut, see, Discrimination | Credit, Lending & Services | Connecticut.

根据联邦法律，针对歧视有哪些潜在的补救措施？

To pursue a claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act for employment discrimination, the employer must have at least 15 employees. A person must file a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within 180 days of the date of the discriminatory act. A person may remove an ADA claim from the EEOC and file a lawsuit in state or federal court.

根据《美国残疾人法案》，若要就公共场所的歧视提起诉讼，当事人无需先向行政机构提出申请，只需向州法院或联邦法院提起禁令救济（即寻求法院命令停止歧视行为）。除非美国司法部提出索赔，否则违反《美国残疾人法案》第三章的行为不予赔偿。但是，如果当事人针对接受联邦资助的实体提起诉讼，则可以根据《联邦康复法案》追偿赔偿金。

为了根据《康复法》提出索赔，个人可以向联邦卫生与公众服务部地区办事处提出行政投诉和/或直接向法院提起诉讼。

根据《国家公平住房法》，如需就住房歧视提起索赔，个人可在违规行为发生后一年内向美国住房和城市发展部 (HUD) 提出投诉。个人也可在违规行为发生后两年内提起诉讼。无论个人是否已向 HUD 提出投诉，均可提起诉讼。

资源

For more information about the CHRO complaint process see:

有关根据 ADA 提起歧视投诉的信息，请参阅： 

HIV/AIDS | Testing & Privacy | Connecticut

康涅狄格州是否有管理艾滋病毒检测的法律？

Yes, but the law was changed significantly in 2009 eliminating the need to get specific informed consent each time an HIV-related test is done and the need to do pre-test counseling. Instead, a general consent for medical care is sufficient as long as the general consent contains an instruction to the patient that the patient “may” be tested for HIV unless the patient “choose[s] not to be tested for HIV” (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-582(a)). Under this system, the burden is on the patient who does not want to be tested for HIV to communicate that refusal to the healthcare provider.

If the person declines an HIV-related test, then that will be documented in the patient’s record, but otherwise the medical provider does not need to get the patient’s specific consent to perform an HIV-related test. The term “HIV-related test” includes a test for any agent “thought to cause or indicate the presence of HIV infection” (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-581 (6)).

在告知 HIV 相关检测结果时，对于必须向患者提供什么有什么要求？

是的，康涅狄格州法律规定，必须根据需要提供咨询或转介咨询（康涅狄格州一般法规第 19a-582 (c) 条）：

  • 应对艾滋病毒检测结果带来的情绪影响，
  • 关于潜在的歧视问题，
  • 进行行为改变以防止传播，
  • 告知个人可用的医疗服务、艾滋病毒支持服务机构，以及
  • 关于需要通知合作伙伴。

医生可以在没有父母或监护人同意的情况下对未成年人进行艾滋病毒检测吗？

是的，康涅狄格州法律明确规定“父母或监护人的同意不应成为对未成年人进行测试的先决条件”（康涅狄格州一般法规第 19a-582 (a) 条）。

Connecticut law also requires that at the time a minor receives the test result, if he or she was tested without parental consent, the provider must give the minor counseling or referrals to “work towards” involving the minor’s parents in decision-making about medical care. In addition, the minor must receive actual counseling about the need to notify partners (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-582 (c)).

康涅狄格州法律是否允许在违背个人意愿的情况下进行艾滋病毒检测？

Yes, Connecticut law permits involuntary HIV testing, without the need for informed consent, in several situations. The following four circumstances are the most important circumstances permitting involuntary testing:

  1. Occupational Exposure – Significant Exposure Required

Connecticut law permits a nonconsensual “HIV-related test” of the source of a “significant exposure” (the threshold requirement that there be a “significant exposure” means “a parenteral exposure such as a needlestick or cut, or mucous membrane exposure such as a splash to the eye or mouth, to blood or a cutaneous exposure involving large amounts of blood or prolonged contact with blood, especially when the exposed skin is chapped, abraded, or afflicted with dermatitis.”  Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-581 (14).  Department of Health Services Regulations additionally list a variety of internal organ fluids whose contact can constitute a “significant exposure” and lists sexual assault in the course of occupational duties as a mode of “significant exposure” as well.  看 Department of Public Health, Public Health Code sec. 19a-589-1(o) .Exposure to urine, feces, saliva, sweat, tears, and vomit is excluded, unless the fluid in question contains visible amounts of blood.  Likewise, human bites or scratches are excluded unless there is direct blood to blood or blood to mucous membrane contact. Id) to HIV which occurs during a person’s occupational duties (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-582 (d)(5)).

为了获得感染源的非自愿 HIV 检测，受检员工必须：

  • 记录重大职业暴露事件的发生并在48小时内完成事件报告；
  • 72小时内HIV基线检测结果为阴性；
  • 通过医生，试图从来源处获得自愿同意但遭到拒绝；
  • “能够立即采取有意义的行动……否则这些行动是无法采取的”（例如开始预防性药物治疗或做出有关怀孕或母乳喂养的决定）；
  • 让“暴露评估小组”确定是否满足上述标准（“暴露评估小组”是指至少三名公正的医疗保健提供者，其中一人必须是医生，他们确定是否存在“重大暴露”。康涅狄格州一般法规第 19a-581 (15) 条）。

测试如何进行

如果来源是医疗机构、惩教机构或其他机构的患者，则可以对可用的血液样本进行检测，或者从来源处抽取血液样本并进行检测。

如果污染源不在这样的设施内，并且医生证明存在严重接触，工人可以寻求法院命令进行检测。

雇主必须支付艾滋病毒检测的费用。

  1. Inability to Consent

当受试者无法同意或缺乏给予或拒绝同意的能力，并且检测对于“提供适当的紧急护理的诊断目的”是必要时，持照医疗保健提供者可以下令进行非自愿的 HIV 检测（康涅狄格州一般法规第 19a-582 (d)(1) 条）。

  1. Prisoners

The Department of Correction may perform involuntary HIV testing on an inmate either because it is necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of an illness, or if the inmate’s behavior poses a significant risk of transmission to another inmate or has resulted in a significant exposure to another inmate (“Significant risk of transmission” means “sexual activity that involves transfer of one person’s semen, vaginal or cervical secretions to another person or sharing of needles during intravenous drug use.”  Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-581 (13)), (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-582 (d)(6), (d)(7)). 在这两种情况下，一定没有其他合理的替代测试方法可以实现相同的目标。

  1. By Court Order

康涅狄格州法律包含一项广泛的规定，允许法院在裁定“对公众健康或个人健康存在明显和迫在眉睫的危险，并且该人已证明迫切需要进行 HIV 相关检测结果，而其他方式无法满足该需求”时，下令进行 HIV 检测（康涅狄格州一般法规第 19a-582 (d)(8) 条）。在评估中，法院必须权衡检测结果的必要性与“检测对象的隐私利益和非自愿检测可能损害的公共利益”（康涅狄格州普通法规第 19a-582 (d)(8) 条）（康涅狄格州法律对未经同意进行 HIV 检测的补充规定包括：(1) 检测用于医学研究或治疗或移植的人体器官、组织、血液或精液；(2) 在无法确定受试者身份的情况下用于研究目的；或 (3) 确定死亡原因。请参阅康涅狄格州普通法规第 19a-582 (d) 条的一般规定）。

与医疗机构进行的检测相关的法律是否也适用于保险公司进行的检测？

No, Connecticut law makes a distinction between HIV testing by health organizations and HIV testing done by insurers. A separate set of laws governs HIV testing by insurers, rather than the general HIV testing statute (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-586).

为了对投保人进行任何 HIV 相关检测，保险公司必须获得 书面 知情同意 （康涅狄格州普通法第19a-586条）。保险专员已制定此类同意书的格式要求。保险公司可以使用其他表格，但必须向保险专员提交。

人寿和健康保险公司以及健康中心是否可以出于任何原因向任何群体披露 HIV 相关检测呈阳性的结果？

是的，法律允许人寿和健康保险公司及健康中心向为检测欺诈或虚假陈述而收集保险申请人信息的组织披露阳性的 HIV 相关检测结果，但这种披露必须采用包含许多其他检测结果的代码形式，因此不能用于合理地将申请人的检测结果识别为 HIV 相关检测（康涅狄格州一般法规第 19a-587 条）。

Are there unique requirements for the administration of HIV tests for pregnant women and newborns?

Yes, any health care provider giving prenatal care to a pregnant woman must explain to her that HIV testing is a part of routine prenatal care and inform her of the health benefits to herself and her newborn of being tested for HIV infection. The requirements for consent and post-test counseling are the same as those discussed at the beginning of this topic (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-593 (a)). If the woman consents to HIV testing the result will be listed in her medical file.

If a pregnant woman is admitted for delivery and there is no documentation of HIV-related testing in her medical record, the health care provider must inform her of the health benefits to herself and her newborn of being tested for HIV infection either before delivery or within 24 hours after delivery, and the health care provider must then administer an HIV test unless there is a specific written objection from the patient (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-593 (b)).

是否有专门针对新生儿的艾滋病毒检测法律？

Yes, all newborns shall be administered an HIV-related test as soon after birth as medically appropriate, unless the infant’s parents object to the test as being in conflict with their “religious practice.” This mandate does not apply if the mother was tested pursuant to the laws described above (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-55 (a)).

此外，公共卫生部可能会建立接触过艾滋病毒或艾滋病药物的婴儿的数据登记册，以研究此类药物对婴儿的潜在长期影响。

是否有与艾滋病毒相关的法律来管理艾滋病毒/艾滋病疫苗研究人员？

Yes, the HIV-related law that governs HIV/AIDS vaccine researchers states that when a drug is developed and tested to determine its success as a vaccine against HIV/AIDS, a manufacturer, research institution, or researcher will not be held liable for civil damages resulting from clinical trials where the drug is administered to research subjects. This immunity from liability must be presented to the research subject in writing and that person (or his or her parent or guardian in the case of a minor) must provide informed written consent to act as a research subject (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-591(a & b)).

康涅狄格州是否有法律保护医疗信息（例如 HIV）的隐私？

康涅狄格州法律广泛禁止披露 任何人, without a written release, of “confidential HIV-related information” (the term “confidential HIV-related information” means any information “pertaining to” a person who has “been counseled regarding HIV infection, is the subject of an HIV-related test or, who has been diagnosed as having HIV infection, AIDS, or HIV-related illness.”  Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-581 (7), (8). It includes information which even reasonably could identify a person as having such conditions and information relating to such individual’s partners. Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-581 (8)), (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-583 (a)).

艾滋病毒感染者是否享有宪法赋予的隐私权？

Many courts have found that a person has a constitutional privacy right to the nondisclosure of HIV status. Courts have based this right on the Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which creates a privacy interest in avoiding disclosure of certain types of personal information.

The constitutional right to privacy can only be asserted when the person disclosing the information is a state or government actor— e.g. police, prison officials, doctors at a state hospital.

为了确定是否侵犯了隐私权，法院会权衡侵犯个人隐私的性质与政府制定披露政策或做法的合法理由。

康涅狄格州法律是否允许在未经书面知情同意的情况下披露艾滋病毒状况？

是的，康涅狄格州法律规定在特定情况下披露艾滋病毒状况：

  • To a healthcare provider or facility when necessary to provide “appropriate care or treatment” (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-583(a) (4)).
  • To a healthcare worker or other employee where there has been a “significant occupational exposure” and the requirements articulated above are met.
  • 如果感染控制委员会认定患者的行为构成将病毒传播给其他患者的重大风险，则可向精神健康和成瘾服务部 (DHS) 运营的精神疾病医院的员工披露信息（康涅狄格州普通法第 19a-583 (a)(8) 条）。只有在信息披露可能预防或降低传播风险，且没有其他合理途径（例如咨询）可以达到相同目的的情况下，才可进行信息披露。
  • To employees of facilities operated by the Department of Correction to provide services related to HIV-infection or if the medical director and chief administrator determine that the inmate’s behavior poses a significant risk of transmission to another inmate or has resulted in a significant exposure to another inmate at the facility (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-583 (a)(9)).
  • 向人寿和健康保险公司提供有关人寿、健康和残疾福利的承保和索赔活动（《康涅狄格州法规》第 19a-583 (a)(11) 条）。

To any person allowed access to such information by a court order, as described above. There are safeguards to protect the privacy of the source in any such court proceeding and subsequent disclosure of HIV-related information (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-583).

如何处理违反测试和隐私法规的行为？

根据康涅狄格州法律，任何人因“故意”违反知情同意和保密要求而遭受任何伤害，均可获得补偿性赔偿（康涅狄格州一般法规第 19a-590 条）。

The phrase “willful” violation has been interpreted by the Supreme Court of Connecticut to mean simply that the disclosure of HIV-related information must be knowingly made. It need not be intended to produce injury (see Doe诉Marselle案，675 A.2d 835，236 Conn.845（1996））。

康涅狄格州是否有报告法律，要求向康涅狄格州卫生部报告 HIV 或艾滋病诊断结果？

Yes. All states require that certain health conditions be reported to public health authorities in order to track epidemiological trends and develop effective prevention strategies. Connecticut requires that physicians report to the Department of Public Health; 1) patients diagnosed with AIDS; 2) patients testing positive for HIV; 3) and children born to HIV positive women.  Information collected is kept confidential.

“警告义务”这句话指的是什么？

The term “duty to warn” refers to situations in which a counselor or physician may learn that a client is engaging in unsafe sex without having disclosed his or her HIV-positive status to the partner. Many people have asked whether there is a legal basis to breach client or patient confidentiality under these circumstances.

康涅狄格州是否有针对艾滋病毒的警告法规，该法规涉及医生和公共卫生官员？

是的，康涅狄格州法律允许公共卫生官员和医生在某些情况下告知或警告伴侣他们可能已接触过 HIV（康涅狄格州普通法第 19a-584 条）。“伴侣”是指“受保护个人的已确认配偶或性伴侣，或已确认与受保护个人共用皮下注射针头或注射器的人”（康涅狄格州普通法第 19a-581 (10) 条）。公共卫生官员进行此类披露的要求如下：

  • 有合理的理由相信传染给伴侣的风险很大；
  • 公共卫生官员已就通知伴侣的必要性向该个人进行了咨询，并合理地相信该个人不会向伴侣透露；并且
  • The public health officer has informed the protected individual of his or her intent to make the disclosure.

A physician may only warn or inform a known partner if both the partner and the individual with HIV are under the physician’s care. A physician may also disclose confidential HIV related information to a public health officer for the purpose of warning partners, if the physician takes the same steps with respect to his or her patient as public health officers must take above.

在发出此类警告时，医生或公共卫生官员不得透露艾滋病毒感染者的身份，并且在可行的情况下应亲自进行此类披露。

康涅狄格州是否有法规允许其他医疗保健提供者披露客户的 HIV 状况？

No. The AIDS Law Project believes that any general laws related to “duty to warn” (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 52-146c, §52-146f) do not pertain to HIV disclosure, because Connecticut law specifically protects the confidentiality of HIV-related information and makes no exceptions for mental health providers, such as psychologists and social workers.

Connecticut law contains a broad prohibition on the disclosure of confidential HIV-related information by 任何 person (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-583). Since the Connecticut legislature specifically provided a narrow exemption permitting warning by physicians and public health officers only (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-581(12)), there is a strong argument that the legislature has addressed that issue and decided not to permit other providers to disclose HIV status.

然而，警告义务问题是一个不断发展且不明确的法律领域。 

Mental health professionals must consult an attorney or supervisor for advice if he or she believes that a client’s communications justify breaching client confidentiality and disclosing a client’s HIV status to a third person.

对于如何披露艾滋病相关信息有什么要求？

是的，每当披露与艾滋病毒相关的机密信息时，披露必须附有以下声明，或使用基本相似语言的声明：

“此信息是从受州法律保护的保密记录中向您披露的。州法律禁止您在未经相关人员书面同意或法律另有规定的情况下进一步披露此信息。仅获得医疗或其他信息的一般授权不足以达到此目的。”

“口头披露应在 10 天内附上或随后发出此类通知”（康涅狄格州法规第 19a-585 (a) 条）。

任何披露都必须在受试者的医疗记录中注明，但以下披露除外：

  • 向联邦或州当局；
  • 在普通医疗检查过程中；或

向人寿和健康保险公司以及政府付款人提供有关人寿、健康和残疾福利索赔的信息。

案件与辩护

To see HIV/AIDS cases or advocacy which GLAD has been directly involved with in Connecticut, go to: 案件和辩护 – GLAD and under “By Issue” click on “HIV/AIDS” and under “By Location” click on “Connecticut.”

新闻与新闻稿

To see news and press releases about HIV/AIDS in Connecticut, go to: 新闻与新闻稿 – GLAD and under “By Issue” click on “HIV/AIDS” and under “By Location” click on “Connecticut.”

HIV/AIDS | Other HIV-Related Issues | Connecticut

雇主必须为残疾雇员提供“合理便利”是什么意思？

残疾人士（例如艾滋病毒/艾滋病患者）可能会遇到健康问题，导致其难以满足某些工作要求或职责。例如，他们可能会感到精疲力竭，难以全职工作。

In certain circumstances, the employer has an obligation to modify or adjust job requirements or workplace policies in order to enable a person with a disability, such as HIV or AIDS, to perform the job duties. Under the ADA and the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act, this is known as a “reasonable accommodation.”

合理便利的例子包括：

  • 修改或改变工作任务或职责；
  • 制定兼职或修改的工作时间表；
  • 允许在正常工作时间内请假去看医生；
  • 将员工重新分配到空缺职位；或
  • 对工作现场的物理布局进行修改或购置电话放大器等设备，以允许听力障碍人士完成工作。

员工可以申请的便利条件没有固定的设定。申请便利条件的性质将取决于每位员工的具体情况。

How may a person obtain reasonable accommodation?

It is, with rare exception, the employee’s responsibility to initiate the request for an accommodation. In addition, an employer may request that an employee provide some information about the nature of the disability. Employees with concerns about disclosing HIV/AIDS status to a supervisor should contact GLAD Answers at (800) 455-GLAD (4523) in order to strategize about ways to address any such requests.

雇主是否必须批准合理住宿请求？

No, an employer is not obligated to grant each and every request for an accommodation; an employer does not have to grant a reasonable accommodation that will create an “undue burden” (i.e., significant difficulty or expense for the employer’s operation). In addition, the employer does not have to provide reasonable accommodation if the employee cannot perform the job function even with the reasonable accommodation.

什么情况下，对员工而言“合理的便利”会成为对雇主而言“过度负担”？

在确定所要求的便利是否给雇主造成过度负担或困难时，法院会审查许多因素，其中包括：

  • 雇主的规模、预算和财务限制；
  • 实施所要求的住宿的费用；以及
  • 该调整如何影响或扰乱雇主的业务。

再次强调，我们会根据具体情况进行审查。

An employer only has an obligation to grant the reasonable accommodation if, as a result of the accommodation, the employee is then qualified to perform the essential job duties. An employer does not have to hire or retain an employee who cannot perform the essential functions of the job, even with a reasonable accommodation.

Do Connecticut laws provide for access to clean needles for injection drug users to prevent HIV transmission?

Under Connecticut law (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 21a-65) specific provision is made for needle and syringe exchange programs in the health departments of the three cities with the highest number of AIDS cases among intravenous drug users. These programs shall provide free and anonymous exchange of up to thirty needles and syringes per exchange and offer education about the transmission and prevention of HIV and offer assistance in obtaining drug treatment services.

Can I purchase a hypodermic needle or syringe over the counter at a pharmacy?

Yes. Connecticut law permits a pharmacy, health care facility, or needle exchange program to sell ten or fewer syringes to a person without a prescription (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 21a-65 (b)).

资源

For support and information about HIV/AIDS in Connecticut, see: https://aids-ct.org/

For information about Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), see:  CT Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Local Medical Services