Publication of updated guide for developing policies for HIV-infected students and school staff

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, July 5, 1996

The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) is one of 30 national organizations that receive assistance from CDC to help schools provide effective health education to prevent the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). As part of its education mission, NASBE has published the second edition of its guide Someone at School Has AIDS: A Complete Guide to Education Policies Concerning HIV Infection (1).

To develop the guide, NASBE convened experts in medicine, public health, education, and law(*) who recommended scientifically and legally based policy statements that local and state departments of education can use in developing policies for students and staff who are infected with HIV. The guide addresses infection control, confidentiality, and HIV-antibody testing. The second edition includes sections on HIV prevention, counseling and testing, support services, HIV and athletics, and community relations and provides a legal context for policy recommendations within the parameters established by the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's infection-control guidelines, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

Copies of the guide are available from NASBE, 1012 Cameron Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; telephone (800) 220-5183 or (703) 684-4000.

(*) Representatives of the following organizations participated in developing and/or reviewing the guide: Advocates for Youth, Alabama Department of Education, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, American Red Cross, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, California State Board of Education, CDC, Council for Exceptional Children, Council of Chief State School Officers, Council of Great City Schools, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Indian Health Service, Kansas Board of Education, Maryland Department of Education, Massachusetts State Department of Education, National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, National Association for Sport and Physical Education, National Association of People with AIDS, National Association of School Nurses, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Association of State Directors of Special Education, National Catholic Educational Association, National Coalition of Advocates for Students, National Education Association, National Federation of State High School Associations, National Middle School Association, National PTA, National School Boards Association, National School Health Association, Nebraska Department of Education, Northside (San Antonio) Health Careers High School, Ryan White Foundation, South Carolina Department of Education, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Justice, Utah State Office of Education, Virginia Department of Education, Washington Department of Public Instruction, and West Virginia Department of Education.

Reference

(1.) National Association of State Boards of Education. Someone at school has AIDS: a complete guide to education policies concerning HIV infection. 2nd ed. Alexandria, Virginia: National Association of State Boards of Education, 1996.