Is it wrong to "train", meaning practice martial arts, or work in a restaurant, when you have a contagious blood borne disease such as aids or hepatitis c?

I’m pretty sure that you have to have a physical to work in food of any kind, and have some sort of card. I think.
It would be wrong if you were putting anyone at risk without full disclosure, yes.

Agreeing with @Trillian

Training in Martial Arts only involves blood in the harder arts, and even then only if something goes wrong. I never bled once when I took Tae Kwon Do, nor did my wife ever suffer any open wounds from Aikido. It’d be good if the dojo knew just in case, but I don’t see any problem there.

Food handling is a separate matter. If you have a contagious disease, you can forget about getting a food handlers permit, and I can’t think of a restaurant that would hire you without one.

I worked for years in restaurants and never once was asked if I even had a cold. If they are checking food handlers more closely these days, it is news to me.

I cannot speak for martial arts, however, people with HIV or AIDS can safely handle food. This can give you more information.

@tedibear
thank you that was helpful. I recently was cured of Hepatitis C, and I’m hoping I stay cured. They will test my blood in another month or two to see if I’m still negative.

I want to start a food business too, and I believe they allow people with hepatitis C to work with food. It would be on a need to know basis though and could be tough. A lot of people aren’t educated about how to catch it and go all “Ryan White” on you. I have experienced some discrimination, for lack of a better word, because of my openess about my hep c. It’s spread by blood to blood contact, just like aids. I caught it from a dentist down in Mexico.

@truecomedian – I’m not sure that you have to disclose it, do you? I’m not saying that you shouldn’t, I’m just not sure you’re legally obligated. As for a moral or ethical obligation, that’s on you. If you’re in the U.S., I would say to start with your county health department for information. My sanitation class was taught by a county health department official, and I believe that’s the information she gave – talk to the health department.

Think about this question. I’ll answer the 2nd part since I was a waitress (though I don’t have aids). If you’re HIV positive you can still TOTALLY be a food server and I’m sure many are!! There is NO risk to anyone unless you’re actively “sick” – at which time you’d be too ill to want to work anyway! This is thinking circa 198..? There are many healthy HIV positive people today! And yes, also agree with @truecomedian, in most cases you do not have to disclose!

The laws vary from place to place. While I don’t think that most places will prevent you from the food service industry for a non-contagious disease or one that is difficult to spread (like HIV or Hep-C), I would double-check your jurisdiction’s stance. It may be one of those things that potential employers have no need to know, though the state Health department does. Or it may be something that you can keep entirely to yourself. I don’t know what the rules are where you live.

@mamalis Unfortunately, many people still think like it’s the 1600s :(