TREATING THE PATIENTS WITH HIV/AIDS A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY IN DENTISTS

Dr. Jayakrishna Bairi

Abstract


Introduction: Every 15 seconds, a person dies of AIDS and every 13 seconds, another person gets infected with AIDS, an information which needs attention  . As people are diagnosed with HIV and live longer lives due to the success of antiretroviral therapies, people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) will require increasingly competent and compassionate health care, including oral health care.

Objectives: willingness of dentist (staff, students and dentist) to provide treatment to HIV/AIDS patient.

Materials and methods: a descriptive cross-sectional survey among dentist and dental students was conducted with the use self-administered questionnaire eliciting information on self-rated HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, infection control practices, perceived occupational risk perception and willingness to treat HIV/AIDS patients.

Results: Interns and post graduate students strongly agree that patients with HIV/AIDS should be treated which showed a positive attitude towards this patients.  An increase in level knowledge observed as the increasing year of study from first BDS to post graduation and MDS staff and practicing dentist.

Conclusion:Studies regarding the willingness to treat HIV/ AIDS patients have been published previously with very few studies from India, which is one of the second wave countries. Although there is considerable research on AIDS, uncertainty towards HIV-positive patients and refusal to treat these patients still persist along with the fear and possibility that an HIV positive one might be preventing from practicing dentistry.


Keywords


Dentists, HIV/AIDS

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References


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