[The HIV-positive health care worker: lessons for biosafety and ethics]

After the contamination with HIV of 6 patients by an american dentist, great concern about the work of HIV-positive health care workers emerged. In spite of the good effects of preventive programs (also including other viruses more contagious than HIV, like the hepatitis virus), that concern is still confuse and misunderstood, blurred by social prejudice and intolerance with regard to HIV patients. This article shows that a policy of segregation of HIV-positive health workers is neither fair nor effective to improve biosafety. On the other hand, a responsible behavior by the positive worker is appropriate, avoiding to participate on exposure-prone proceedings. If an accident happens, anti-HIV prophylaxis with drugs, active and passive immunization against HBV should be offered to the patient. Acting on a better informed basis will brings other benefits and turn possible a new way, more human and less positivist, on facing the challenges of this new epidemic.