Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/841282
My Best Advice Shawnee Isaac Smith says massage therapists can have significant impact when working with clients with HIV. Here are her top five pieces of advice for working with this special population. 1. Keep your heart open. Allow yourself to acknowledge any fears you may have and then let them go. 2. Never work on your client with AIDS when you are feeling ill. Persons with HIV or AIDS often have depressed immune systems and are more susceptible to contracting other illnesses. 3. If you have an open wound, or if you discover you are experiencing fear when working with someone with AIDS, wear gloves. Your client will not notice any qualitative difference in your touch and you will be putting a protective layer between you and your client physically and emotionally if needed. 4. The rule of thumb is "if it's wet, don't touch it." HIV can only be transmitted through bodily fluids. The only bodily fluids you may come in contact with are open wounds. HIV cannot be transmitted by tears or sweat. 5. When in doubt, ask. If you see a lesion, rash, or sore on your client's body, ask your client about your areas of concern, just as you would with your healthy clients. 70 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k j u l y / a u g u s t 2 0 1 7 During The Heart Touch Project visits to New Hope for Cambodian Children, approximately 250 children are massaged over the course of a two-week trip.