Opinion ID: 1933547
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Blood and Body Fluid Precautions

Text: Petitioner also contends that the Commission erred in ruling that blood and body fluid precautions were not ordered for a discriminatory purpose. He alleges that the decision to place him on these precautions was based, at least in part, on his sexual orientation. Petitioner bases his contention on the section of the HRA which states: It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice to do any of the following acts, wholly or partially for a discriminatory reason based on the ... sexual orientation... of any individual: (1) To deny, directly or indirectly, any person the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation. D.C.Code § 1-2519(a) (1992 Repl.) (emphasis added). We hold that the Commission could reasonably conclude that the Hospital considered petitioner's sexual orientation merely as a medical risk factor, not as a discriminatory basis for the actions taken with respect to him, and that the decision to order blood and body fluid precautions was based upon petitioner's medical history. At the hearing before the examiner, there was substantial evidence presented regarding the propriety of implementing blood and body fluid precautions. Dr. Randall, the physician who ordered the precautions, testified that he implemented them based upon petitioner's medical history, which included the information that petitioner had a history of sexually transmitted diseases and had suffered from hepatitis. Dr. Randall explained that petitioner's history of homosexuality placed him in a high risk group, and that the sexually transmitted diseases evidenced that, at some point, petitioner had engaged in unprotected sex. In addition, Dr. Wayne Greaves and Dr. David Henderson, experts in the field of epidemiology, both testified that, based upon petitioner's medical history, the precautions were warranted under the circumstances. Both experts opined that there is a correlation between sexually transmitted diseases and hepatitis on one hand, and a patient being HIV positive on the other. Additionally, Dr. Henderson testified that if one suspects a blood-borne infectious disease, it is proper procedure to implement blood and body fluid precautions until the risk of that disease has been excluded in the patient. Dr. Henderson also testified that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommended that precautions be used when dealing with patients who are suspected carriers of AIDS or HIV. Finally, the CDC Guidelines, in effect at the time, instructed that it was safer to overisolate than to under-isolate, and that isolation precautions should be implemented immediately for patients who appear to have an infections disease, rather than waiting for test results. [6] On the other hand, petitioner's expert testified that the information available to the Hospital staff, i.e., that petitioner had a history of hepatitis, gonorrhea, syphilis and a previous negative HIV test, was insufficient to provide a reasonable basis for suspecting that he was infectious for either hepatitis or HIV. The expert opined that further inquiry was required, such as questioning whether petitioner had recently engaged in unsafe sexual practices, and determining the type of hepatitis petitioner had previously suffered. The Commission rejected that opinion and, specifically crediting the testimony of Drs. Greaves and Henderson, and relying on the CDC Guidelines, concluded that the Hospital, based on petitioner's medical history, had a reasonable basis for suspecting that petitioner was infectious, and that the decision to place him on blood and body fluid precautions was not discriminatory. Our own review of the evidence presented at the hearing persuades us that there was a substantial basis for that conclusion. Pro-Football, Inc. v. District of Columbia Department of Employment Services, 588 A.2d 275, 278 (D.C.1991); Cohen v. Rental Housing Commission, 496 A.2d 603, 605 (D.C.1985). Accordingly, we affirm the Commission's holding that implementation of blood and body fluid precautions was not ordered for a discriminatory purpose.