Katy Sheridan on wed 1 may 96
Clayart,
I am much more concerned about how to protect the health of the HIV students
that I have in classes from hazards that may compromise their health even
more. And I appreciate the suggestion from my fellow Georgian. I think that
if HIV students them selves are made aware of the fungi and bacteria that
surround us they may be able to track down health problems more quickly
should they become ill. One of my students told me that he attributes his
good psychic health to the clay class in which he is enrolled. I feel
honored to be a part of his life and challenged to provide a safe and
healthy environment for him and others. We agreed that he should work in a
well venilated area, avoid spraying his work, sweeping up clay dust and the
damp room but we also agreed that driving his car was far more dangerous to
his health!!!
Katy Sheridan
(Am I supposed to say something about the weather in this spot?)
John Michael Davis on thu 2 may 96
Katy,
The one thing that i would worry about, and I am trying to rememebr back
to my begining days as a pottery is all of the cuts and abrasions that i
got on my hands. I would worry about this as a source of infection for
him/her and not as a possible "threat" to the other students.
John Davis
Texas A&M University
Anne Kwiatkowski on wed 8 may 96
Keith - to date, your reply to this thread makes the most sense to me. I
was waiting for someone to say "we don't really know". Its sad, and many
people with HIV may feel alienated, but the scary fact is that while a lot
is known about AIDS and its transmission, much more is not known. While
most people are not having sex or sharing needles in their studios, I'm sure
most have their share of little cuts all over their hands after a long day
of working with grogged clay. Blood is blood, and who knows the limits of
where and how long a virus in it can live - like you said, I doubt anyone
has done studies on buckets of slop or other possible scenarios that may
arise in the studio. I myself poke the hell out of my hands when reaching
for my needle tool because I have to stand it upside down in the holder or
else the skinny end falls through the mesh of my tool basket. Silly but
true. I commend those with HIV who come forward because although some
reactions may be harsh, it allows others in the studio who may be at risk to
make an informed decision or at the very least be a little more careful.
-Annie
At 06:53 PM 5/3/96 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi All,
> I read the post of Lori's a few days back and wanted to reply
>immediately but stopped myself from doing so until I did a little research.
>I work in the Division of Infectious Disease at University Hospitals of
>Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University. I spend my time researching
>various infectious diseases, one of them being HIV. Here at this
>institution we are one of eleven Centers for Aids Research in the United
>States which is funded by the National Institutes of Health. With these
>resources at hand I wanted to get first hand opinions from those around me
>who have expertise in this field. I described the situation in this post
>to 5 physician/ reseachers, 4 who are trained infectious disease specialist
>with one being internationally recognized in the study of HIV.
>Additionally I consulted a virologist. The result of my query was
>basically the same in each case, it is unlikely that HIV would be
>transmitted this way BUT the bottom line is that we "Do not know". The
>experiment to prove or disprove transmission via clay has not been done and
>that of course would provide the definitive answer. There are very few
>experiments conducted to determine HIV transmission through inanimate
>objects, as this is not the major route of infection, but this cannot be
>misconstrued to mean that it could never happen. Since this is unknown
>territory the burden of decision will rest with each individual as to how
>they will handle this situation should they ever be faced with it. I
>commend the infected student for making his/her instructor aware of the
>fact. This shows courage and responsibility and will go a long way toward
>educating others about this terrible disease.
>
> To comment on a few other posts replying on this subject:
>
>Each of us has a different immune system response to the infectious agents
>with which we come into contact. Some of us get the flu and some do not.
>Because you have worked with someone who is infected and have not become
>infected yourself (have you been tested?) does not mean that I would not
>become infected in the same situation because my body functions differently
>than yours.
>
>The post from the National Education Handbook is a very general guideline
>and was probably written with the grade 1-12 teacher in mind, I am not
>sure. I find it giving a false sense of security for those of us in clay.
>It appears to be based on the most casual of contacts with an infected
>person and I know from my experiences that my hands have bled while
>throwing a pot with heavy grog. A bleeding wound is not casual contact.
>Whenever I see words like "usually","cannot", and "never" I immediately ask
>how can you be sure, where is the data to support this claim. That is the
>scientist in me. None of the physicians I asked would make such an
>absolute claim about transmission,"It is unlikely" is as far as they were
>willing to go.(Yes, liability,I know) But the bottom line is still that we
>do not know all there is to know about the transmission of this disease.
>
>I know that everyone wants to hear a definitive yes or no answer on this
>topic but unfortunately one does not exist. At best we say that it is
>unlikely and the absolute answer is that we do not know. You can decide
>what risk you are willing to take, just as you do each time you drive your
>car, step into a plane, etc.. I hope that this puts the subject into better
>perspective and perhaps we each have a little more knowledge with which to
>make our decisions.
>
>Keith
>
>
/\_/\ ,,,
{ @ @ }---- __/
\_0_/ (_)(_)(__(__/
Anne M. Kwiatkowski
in Washington, D.C.
FA_RWH@HAL.LAMAR.EDU on wed 8 may 96
I have been following this thread with great interest and thought I
would pass off a web site concerning AIDS for all interested.
"The AIDS-info Web site, The Body, corrals great Usenet newsgroups like
sci.med.aids, regular columns by AIDS experts, and updates from political
groups, as well as listing a bevy of relevant organizations. You can reach
the site at http://www.thebody.com ."---OUT magazine May 1996
And another mailing list has shown up as well. GayPoz is a new mailing list
designed specifically for HIV-positive gay men. To subscribe, contact
Steve Bowen (sjbowen@cei.net) or Robert Tosh (rht@world.std.com)
Hope this will help shed more light on the subject and get more people
into the fight to save lives and end this horrible disease.
Robert Helms
Beaumont, Texas
ORCA828068@aol.com on thu 9 may 96
I am monitoring this list for a potter who does not have online access. Have
been following the HIV discussion.
It is with great relief that I read the responses of Keith and Anne. For
years, PC "thinking" re HIV has been rampant, including in the medical world
at large.
Thank you for presenting rational, logical thoughts.
We do not need a 20th Century version of the 'Dark Ages.'
Don Seymour, MD (Orthopaedic Surgeon)
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