1. can employers test for hiv before hiring during a physical when drawing blood for drugs and alcohol? 2. during a physical theres usually a survey given. do I have to list my hiv meds if asked "do you take any medications?" or "have you been exposed to hiv?" 3. are there any careers that cannot hire hiv exposed people? (job I'm applying for is a correctional officer at a private prison) 4. my meds are videx,viread,lexiva and norvir. Can these meds test a positive in blood for opiates?

I love a well-organized question. Here we go:

1. Obviously, if a clinic doing pre-employment physicals for an employer draws blood, they can test for pretty much everything. But employers have to pay for every test the clinic runs. Why pay for a test whose results you cannot legally use? I've never heard of an employer running pre-employment HIV tests. 2. If asked about your medications, I recommend that you write, "I do not take any medications that would interfere with fulfilling the essential functions of the job." That's what they're after, and your privacy exists only to the extent that you protect it. The "have you been exposed to HIV" question is worthless. The only thing that matters is whether you've been infected, and that's beyond the range of their right to know. Leave the question blank. 3. Do not be concerned about careers where HIV would be a barrier. To my knowledge, surgeon is the only one. 4. Your meds and blood tests: this is a great question for your pharmacist. Give your pharmacist a list of everything you take, including over the counter meds, and ask whether any of them could trigger a false positive on a pre-employment drug test. I trust you know not to eat poppy seeds before the test. Apart from that, very few HIV meds even have potential to trigger a false positive.

I wish you well! Nancy