‘‘They Treated Me as if I Were Dead’’ 133
Quandaries arose about how much leeway to give sick doctors. As
we shall see, these conflicts were negotiated and resolved in complex
manner.
While observers might hope that laws protect against such discrimi-
nation, these ill physicians remained wary. Discrimination can occur in
subtle and intricate ways. Moreover, those who are ill, but still functional,
are not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). One HIV-
infected radiologist said of current legislation, ‘‘I wouldn’t be protected by
the law because I’m not disabled at this point. My doctor advised me not
to tell anyone at work because I’m not covered by the ADA.’’
Additional laws, even if existent, may not be well-enforced. Tom, the
internist whose lover died of AIDS, felt that added legislation simply
could not effectively shield one against discrimination.
Laws protect me from discrimination, but that doesn’t make me
feel any better. I know how discrimination works: it doesn’t