Did you let her know why you were 'letting her go'?

In conclusion, I know this decision is good for your conscious and is probably the right one for you and your family, I personally honestly still don't know what I'd have done if I were you but it is also good to always remember that the people with HIV need a constant income to survive on ARVs so even if we let them go let's try and get them something else to do

@otienosmall

The househelp is not legally obligated to disclose her HIV status to her employer. If she had done so during the recruitment process, you probably would not have given her the job. She has a right to speak out or not speak out about it.

The fact that she is on ARVs means that either her CD4 count is quite low, as low as less than 350, or that she was/is at a WHO HIV stage that necessitated the ARVs. This means her immunity is low and her body may not have the ability to fight illnesses as well as it should.

Considering that the househelp takes care of the children, and children naturally have not developed their immune systems fully, it could predispose the children to illnesses. Think of skin infections such as herpes zoster and candidiasis, diarrhoeal diseases such as Cryptosporidium, and other serious diseases such as Tuberculosis.

Children cannot decide between wrong and right. And adults seemingly judge situations better than they do. We as parents have a role to protect our children from any harm that may befall them.

I have often heard boys and men declare that their first sexual contacts were with househelps. Your 9 year old boy might indulge and get infected. It is likened to having bare electrical wires at a socket outlet in the house, and hoping and hoping, that your small son or daughter does not touch them. Fix it. Now.

I am biased towards children care. I have no objections towards living with a HIV positive person in the house, as long as the interactions are between adults, with mature mindsets and devoid of stigma. But you should strongly consider whether it is wise to have your child care provider being HIV positive.

Else, make sure that she is solidly counselled and understands that she has an illness that portends a health risk to the children. That she comprehends compliance to her medication, adherence to her ARV clinics, prompt treatment for opportunistic infections, hygiene in contact with the children, proper disposal of body and blood products, proper nutrition for herself and open communication and full disclosure to the parents in case any of her health conditions change. Regardless, HIV positive mothers carry their babies to term, deliver safely, and bring up their children to be healthy and HIV negative. The househelp can accomplish this too.

mazee the stupidity in this thread is amusing! Ha ha ha ha!

@Otienosmall - Don't feel guilty about anything. Your PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY is to your kids. Anyone with a kid knows what that means. Don't listen to youngsters giving you theoretical solutions and quoting some sections of the law. These are YOUR kids. Do what you believe is right for THEM. No apologies to anyone. Even animals protect their young ones with all they've got. Ni binadamu tu?

PS: I wish there was a way you could also 'accidentally stumble' into your workmates' bags. You will be very shocked how 'at risk' you are at the office. Maybe you need to ask your boss to do some cleansing NKT

@ bwanyenye,most parents on this thread have expressed solidarity with @ Otieno. but does this mean that no kid out there is safe because employers do not take their househelps to be tested?........Kenyalyrics also makes good arguments that the mode of transmission of HIV is very clear....lets remember that we have a responsibility to stop all other misconceptions....so what should be the correct response?

Get househelps tested and for that matter,anybody who is taking care of a young one?

@ tebes,let the parents answer! :)i think it is a good discussion

Hapa naona shinda tupu

@otienpapa... what will ever make you not stumble on future house helps' handbags??? You are a finished man I tell you, coz from thence onwards, you will forever live suspecting them of HIV and other imaginary things... wewe kwisha coz at the end of the day your wife may have to leave her job to take care of you kids...

@all... am trying to imagine how many handbags have been "stumbled upon' since this thread was posted... and probably worse things discovered...which will lead to otienopapa's situation as stated above...

Can someone tell me how HIV+ parents bring up their kids?? Do they touch them, or hug them, or serve them food? Or do they leave them to HIV- housegirls??

the point.... lets learn to live with other people positively. The key words here should be taking DUE CARE. I am not sure that dismissing someone because of HIV status without trying anything else is due care. it is very UN-GODLY to say the least!!


And remember DUE DILIGENCE at hiring time too.

@ jguru, Um Sayala, bwenyenye, Tebes point on….@2012 I did not let her know…. When it comes to bringing up children, every parent has a moral obligation to do what they feel is best for them. As rightly pointed out, the youngsters here will recognize the intricacy of parenthood when they get there. For now they can quote as many legal rules….cap that and that etc…..HIV is not transmitted by sharing brushes….open wounds…cuts…..and also can ignore all other manner of things experimented on our children by these girls; this is a rotten world as MaichBlack puts it, and its not just house helps, as parent we should always be keen on the people our children spends times with be it a gardener, driver etc……Hope the likes of KenyanLyrics….when they get children, these kind of things will never bother them coz they know the law and are better informed on matters medical unlike many of us. For those who are parents already, they know better. @sungura2005 I never knew pple can be this dense!!!!! yawa!

you are hiding behind the argument that none of us are parents, when that is not the primary issue here. Regardless of whether you are a parent or not, the facts about HIV transmission are very clear, and have been drummed away so repetitively in the recent past that all Wazuans can recite the transmission methods by heart. However, despite the clear presence of these facts, you have decided to abandon logic and terminate somebody's employment based on a flimsy 'what if' argument.

One of my guiding principles in life is to do unto others as you would like them to do to you. The best way of analysing this situation is to reverse it. If you were the one who was a houseboy on ARVs, would you deem it fair if your employer were to fire you based on your HIV status?