j----_. - New York Civil Liberties Union

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100. Can funeral directors refuse to embalm victims of AIDS?
A court has held that funeral homes are public accommodations under New
York City Human Rights Law and, therefore, may not discriminate against
pers6ns base~ on a disability. including AIDS and HIV infection.
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How to Reduce. the Risk of AIDS
Experience with AIDS indicates that the disease is not transmitted from
one person to another through any form of casual, non-intimate contact. There
is very strong evidence that AIDS is transmitted thr.ough dire.ct blood-to-blood
or semen-to-blood exchange. Direct contact with other body fluids of an
infected person also may' increase the risk of AIDS, although no cases so far
have been d1rectlylinked with other body secretions or excretions.
Based on this information, there. are precautions that can be taken by
the general public and by persons in special rhk groups to eliminate or
reduce the risk of contracting or spreading AIDS:
o DOHIT HAVE SEXUAL CONTACT WITH ANY PERSON WHOSE PAST HISTORY AND
CURRENT HEALTH STATUS IS NOT KNOWN.
o DONIT HAVE SEXUAL CONTACT WITH MULTIPLE PARTNERS OR·WITH PERSONS WHO
HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PARTNERS.
e DOM'T HAVE SEXUAL CONTACT WITH PERSONS KNOWN OR SUSPECTED OF HAVING
AIDS.
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o DONIT ABUSE INTRAVENOUS (IV) DRUGS.
O DON'T SHARE NEEDLES, SYRINGES OR WORKS.
o DON'T HAVE SEXUAL CONTACT WITH PERSONS WHO ABUSE IV DRUGS.
e USE OF A CONDOM DU~IN6 SEXUAL INTERCOURSE MAY DECREASE THE RISK OF
AIDS.
O DON'T SHARE TOOTHBRUSHES, RAZORS OR OTHER PERSONAL IMPLEMENTS THAT
COULD BECOME CONT~INATED WITH BLOOD.
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o HEAlTK WORKERS, LABORATORY PERSONNEL, FUNERAL DIRECTORS AND OTHERS
WHOSE WORI MAY INVOLVE CONTACT WITH BODY FLUIDS SHOULD STRICTLY
FOllOW RECOMMENDED SAFETY PROCEDURES TO MINIMIZE EXPOSURE TO AIDS,
MEPATITIS B AND OTHER DISEASES.
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