`After the dentist found out I had HIV, I couldn’t get another appointment'

The bottom line: discrimination based on your HIV status is illegal under the Disability Discrimination Act.

In the past, people with HIV weren’t always protected from discrimination. But the law has changed and now covers everybody who knows they have HIV.

The Disability Discrimination Act says that it’s illegal to treat someone less favourably because they have HIV. This law applies to anyone providing “goods, facilities and services to the public”. That includes dentists as well as other healthcare providers, businesses and shops.

So you should be treated in the same way as someone who doesn’t have HIV. If other people can’t get an appointment either, this law won’t help. But if HIV is the reason you are receiving a worse service, the dentist is breaking the law.

You might be able to resolve the problem by discussing it informally with the dentist. If not, contact the Disability Rights Commission. Call their helpline on 08457 622 633 to discuss the problem and get some advice.  They could help you take the dentist to court.

Sterilising equipment

Dentists often think that they need to take extra care when they have a patient with HIV. They may be more careful about cleaning and sterilising equipment, wanting to prevent HIV being passed on. But standard infection control procedures are designed to prevent transmissions.

According to the Department of Health and the British Dental Association:

• The same procedures should be used for all patients
• It’s unethical to refuse dental care to people with HIV
• It’s also illogical – lots of people have HIV without knowing it, so dentists treat people who have HIV anyway, and need to take the right precautions all the time.

Dentists often say that people with HIV have to take the last appointment of the day, to allow for extra sterilisation. So far, nobody has taken a dentist to court for this, but this is probably illegal under The Disability Discrimination Act.

If you've had problems with an NHS dentist, you could also talk to PALS or make a complaint.

You can find out more about the NHS complaints procedure here.