A hair-loss treatment clinic was forced to apologise to a HIV-positive man it refused to treat after Queensland's Anti-discrimination Commission concluded its investigations. This is one of several cases highlighted in the Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland's annual report for 2017-18 (Report).
In this case, a man sought a direct hair implantation procedure from the hair-loss treatment clinic in Queensland, and was advised that the clinic did not provide hair implantation service to HIV-positive patients, due to the risk of needle stick injury. At conciliation, the clinic explained they did not provide the service due to safety concerns.
The complaint was resolved with the patient on the basis that the clinic agreed to the following:
- provide a written apology;
- financial compensation to the patient;
- make donations to a legal centre and a not-for-profit support agency of an agreed amount;
- arrange for expert training for its employees about blood borne viruses (such as HIV), including risks of exposure and transmission; and
- arrange for discrimination training for its employees.
Read the full Report here.