scholarly journals HIV Knowledge and Stigmatizing Attitude towards People Living with HIV/AIDS among Medical Students in Jordan

Author(s):  
Malik Sallam ◽  
Ali M. Alabbadi ◽  
Sarah Abdel-Razeq ◽  
Kareem Battah ◽  
Leen Malkawi ◽  
...  

The stigmatizing attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) can be a major barrier to effective patient care. As future physicians, medical students represent a core group that should be targeted with focused knowledge and adequate training to provide patient care without prejudice. The aim of the current study was to examine HIV/AIDS knowledge, and the stigmatizing attitude towards PLWHA, among medical students in Jordan. The current study was based on a self-administered online questionnaire, which was distributed during March–May 2021, involving students at the six medical schools in Jordan, with items assessing demographics, HIV/AIDS knowledge, and HIV/AIDS stigmatizing attitude, which was evaluated using the validated HIV-stigma scale. The total number of respondents was 1362, with predominance of females (n = 780, 57.3%). Lack of HIV/AIDS knowledge among the study participants was notable for the following items: HIV transmission through breastfeeding (40.8% correct responses), HIV is not transmitted through saliva (42.6% correct responses), and vertical transmission of HIV can be prevented (48.8% correct responses). Approximately two-thirds of the respondents displayed a positive attitude towards PLWHA. For six out of the 14 HIV/AIDS knowledge items, lack of knowledge was significantly correlated with a more negative attitude towards PLWHA. Multinomial regression analysis showed that a significantly more negative attitude towards PLWHA was found among the pre-clinical students compared to the clinical students (odds ratio (OR): 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.43–0.97, p = 0.036); and that affiliation to medical schools that were founded before 2000 was associated with a more positive attitude towards PLWHA compared to affiliation to recently founded medical schools in the country (OR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.42–2.42, p < 0.001). About one-third of medical students who participated in the study displayed a negative attitude towards PLWHA. Defects in HIV/AIDS knowledge were detected for aspects involving HIV transmission and prevention, and such defects were correlated with a more negative attitude towards PLWHA. It is recommended to revise the current medical training curricula, and to tailor improvements in the overall HIV/AIDS knowledge, which can be reflected in a more positive attitude towards PLWHA, particularly for the recently established medical schools in the country.

2009 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Kambole ◽  
P. Struthers

Physiotherapists are increasingly treating people living with HIV /AIDS.However, there is little information reported on either their attitudes when providingtreatment to people with HIV /AIDS, or what facilitates positive attitudes. This studyaimed to determine the attitudes of physiotherapists in Botswana towards treating people living with HIV /AIDS. A  qualitative approach was used with a purposive sample of 10 physiotherapists working in hospitals and private clinics in Gaborone and Ramotswa. In-depth interviews were conducted with individual physiotherapists, utilising an interview guide in. The results indicated that most physiotherapists had a positive attitude towards treating people living with HIV /AIDS. The positive attitude was associated with interrelated factors including their experiencewith people living with HIV /A IDS (PLW HA ); knowledge of HIV /AIDS; job satisfaction; and a belief in a duty to treatall. A  few physiotherapists had a negative attitude which was related to being judgmental and to a fear of acquiring HIVthrough occupational infection.


2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 18-28
Author(s):  
Baitesda Suba

Introduction. Improving nurses and nursing student’s knowledge and attitudes toward patients with HIV/AIDS is vital for providing quality care to each patients. The purpose of this study is to identify the knowledge and the attitudes of nursing students toward patients living with HIV/AIDS. Methods. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Klabat (Unklab), Airmadidi. The inclusion criteria for the nursing students were as follows: being at least 18 years of age; being a fourth-year in course and as a nurse profession program nursing student; and having consent to participate in the research. The sample comprised of 90 nursing students. The study used two data collection tools: (1) the HIV/AIDS Knowledge Questionnaire and (2) the HIV/AIDS Attitude Questionnaire. Results. Participant’s knowledge were moderate or good, but they generally have negative attitude towards patients with HIV/AIDS. On the result of statistic test, there was no statistically significant relation between nursing students  knowledge level and attitude scale toward patients with HIV/AIDS,    p = 0.804 (p > 0,05). Conclusions. The current results reveal that nursing students have good knowledge of HIV/AIDS, but they have a negative attitude. Therefore their attitudes need to be improved.Keyword: HIV/AIDS, knowledge, attitudes, nursing student Full printable version: PDF


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Judy Thompson ◽  
Yolanda Havenga ◽  
Susan Naude

Women in Sub-Saharan Africa are disproportionately affected by the virus and constitute 60% of the total HIV/AIDS infections in this region. Current recommendations endorse the involvement of people living with HIV in the development of programmes for people living with the virus. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the health literacy needs of women living with HIV. The research design was qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual. After women living with HIV/AIDS were sampled purposively, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight women and qualitative content analysis done. The findings revealed that the women expressed a need to increase their knowledge about HIV/AIDS. The knowledge they needed ranged from basic pathophysiology about HIV/AIDS, to the impact of HIV/AIDS on their health, to an awareness of the modes of HIV transmission and methods of protecting others from being infected. Other important health literacy needs related to self-care and correct antiretroviral use. A need for psychosocial skills was also identified in order for women to build and maintain their relationships. Recommendations were made for nursing practice, education and further research, based on these findings.


Public Health ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 121 (12) ◽  
pp. 958-961 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.C. Poudel ◽  
S. Nakahara ◽  
K. Poudel-Tandukar ◽  
M. Jimba

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. E1-E10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Du ◽  
Tonya Crook ◽  
Cynthia Whitener ◽  
Patsi Albright ◽  
Daphne Greenawalt ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 371-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. C Kalichman ◽  
D. Ntseane ◽  
K. Nthomang ◽  
M. Segwabe ◽  
O. Phorano ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 1109-1118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonara Maria Souza da Silva ◽  
Jeane Saskya Campos Tavares

The study of HIV transmission and the implementation of AIDS prevention actions recognize the importance of social networks in the transmission of the disease, the adherence to treatment and the quality of life of those infected. For this relevance there was a review of articles on social support networks to people living with HIV /AIDS available in the Virtual Health Library (VHL) were published in Brazil between 2002 and 2012. In this study 31 articles were used from journals covering the following áreas: Nursing (n = 15), Psychology (n = 6) and Science Health / Biomedica (n = 6), were included, which some principal authors were affiliated to higher education public institutions (n = 17). In relation to the methodology used, priority wasgiven to conducting: qualitative research (n = 18), cross-sectional studies (n = 19) and studies that involved talking to people living with HIV/AIDS (n = 13). Particular importance was placed on analytic categories related to: adherence to treatment (n = 6), the family (n = 4), vulnerability (n = 3) and support from social networks (n = 5). Within this paper we argue for more investments into studies that focus on the family, carers and their households, as well as deepening the theoretical study of the themes discussed and the use of developed theories for the analysis of Social Networks.


2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
MA Khan ◽  
Shashi Sharma

Although India is in the grip of HIV/AIDS epidemic, not much information is available on socio-demographic and clinical aspects of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The present study has been designed with the following objective. Objectives: To assess the socio-demographic and clinical profile of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) in India. Material and methods: The study was carried among 251 HIV/AIDS positive persons attending the out-patients department at the antiretroviral treatment (ART) clinic of the HIV testing centers at three major govt. hospital of Delhi, India. All the patients, male and female in the age range of 20-65 years and willing to participate were included in this study during the period 2007-2009. Written as well as informed consent was obtained for each patient at the time of recruitment. The HIV status was analyzed by ELISA with further confirmation by western blot; CD4/CD8 counts were measured by a flow-cytometer. Statistical analysis was carried out using chi-square test in order to see the association between age groups for various psychological measures and for treatment responses of the participants receiving ART. Results: Majority of the patients (77.7%) were found to be young (<40 years) and married (86.9 %). As high as 61.8% came from low socio-economic class and more than 93.6% acquired HIV transmission through heterosexual routes. A large proportion of these patients reported an extremely high level of anxiety, moderate level of stress and a borderline level of clinical depression. While some of the patients (28.3%) were well-adjusted with the ART, the rest of the patients reported difference in making adjustment with the treatment schedules. Conclusion: The study suggests that counselling and supportive therapy could play a pivotal role in controlling anxiety, stress, depression and rehabilitating people with HIV/AIDS. Thus, proper preventive intervention among general population and establishment of proper laboratory support is recommended. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v3i2.5039 Asian Journal of Medical Sciences 3(2012) 1-10


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