testing, testing

First of all, thanks to all who stopped by yesterday even after I blundered my way through the show and tell. And also thanks for noticing that what my profile said was impossible, since I am not a time traveler. I think I've got it all worked out, now! (But if you notice anything else - let me know!)

So today Mr. P took little A to get her blood drawn for an H.IV test. Even though she was tested at birth, our doctor recommended testing again at 6 months because of the circumstances of K's journey to the United States. When Mr. P arrived at the lab, he said the woman saw the test that our doctor had ordered and looked at him with what he described as a suspicious look. Like she thought he had HIV? Is it suspicious to have HI.V? We of course don't really know what she meant by her look, but it's been bothering me all afternoon to think that she was judging him because of this. Then he went back with little A to where the nurse was going to draw the blood and the nurse said, "Poor thing! Why are you having blood drawn from such a healthy little baby? Allergies?" Mr. P just nodded.

This brings up several things for me. First, it really, really, really bothers me when people with H.IV are treated as anything other than the regular folks they are - as in suspicious. (Just to be clear - neither my husband nor I are H.IV positive, but it seems to Mr. P that he was being judged based on the assumption that he was.) There is such a taboo around HIV in this country (and I'm sure others) and it bugs me, to put it lightly. Second, why would a nurse question why we are having blood drawn from our daughter? And third, I've been thinking up alternative responses to Mr. P's nod all afternoon. Here are some of them:

a) No, our daughter is having an HIV test because her first mom spent several weeks in a precarious situation on her way to this country and you just never know.

b) it's really none of your business.

c) we are having blood work done at the recommendation of our doctor.

d) our daughter is really into tattoos and don't have full confidence in the sterilization that they use at her favorite tattoo parlor, so we're having an HIV test done.

Any other suggestions?

Oh, and by the way, little A was fabulous getting her blood drawn. They couldn't find a vein in her first chubby little arm so they had to look in the other one. Mr. P reports that she cried while the blood was being taken, but then stopped as soon as they took the needle out and was laughing moments later. Love that girl!!