Attitude of Health Care Workers to Patients and Colleagues Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus

ABSTRACT

Discrimination against persons living with HIV/AIDS in hospital settings has been documented. This study examined the attitude of health care workers (HCWs) to nurses; doctors and patients infected with HIV. A total of 345 respondents selected by multistage sampling techniques were surveyed; using a semi-structured questionnaire; which explored respondents' attitude to HIV-infected patients and colleagues with HIV/AIDS. HCWs were unwilling to accept that medical procedures be carried out on them by HIV-infected doctors and nurses; with almost 80refusing surgery or assistance at surgery on them by an HIV-infected doctor or nurse. They were also significantly more unwilling to accept that medical procedures be carried out on them by an infected colleague; compared with their carrying out the same procedure on an HIV-infected patient. Thus; HCWs seemed to believe that the risk of contracting HIV was higher if an infected HCW were to perform medical procedures on them; and fear of contracting HIV seemed to be the driving force for their negative attitudes. Education on occupational risks of HIV; provision of a safe working environment with enforcement of universal precautions; as well as provision of post-exposure prophylaxis are suggested as ways to enable HCWs to change their attitudes