ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Discriminatory attitudes (DA) of dental surgeons towards PLWHIV may hinder their access to oral health care. The objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with the discriminatory attitudes of dentists towards PLHIV in Côte d’Ivoire. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on a randomly selected sample of dentists in Abidjan. The data collected were: their socio-professional characteristics, their knowledge of HIV/AIDS, their perceptions and attitudes towards PLWHIV, and whether they had received continuing education or sensitization on HIV/AIDS. Discriminatory attitudes was a binary variable, defined from the combination of four criteria. Numbers and percentages were calculated for all variables. The risk of having DA was estimated by the odds ratio. RESULTS: A total of 120 dentists were surveyed, 43.3% of whom were women and 39.2% from the private sector. They did not know the routes of transmission (29.2%) and the oral pathologies associated with HIV (62.5%). Their perceptions were dominated by the fear of being contaminated during care (69.2%). The frequency of DA was estimated at 69.2%. The main associated factors were: female gender; lack of knowledge of HIV/AIDS-related oral pathologies, lack of the risk of HIV transmission after blood exposure accident, and ignorance of the existence of a law on the protection of PLWHA; and fear of being contaminated. CONCLUSION: This study reveals that the DA of dental surgeons with regard to PLWHIV in Côte d’Ivoire are mainly the result of poor knowledge of the disease.
Subject(s)
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome , HIV Infections , Surgeons , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/prevention & control , Cote d'Ivoire/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Dentists , Female , HIV Infections/epidemiology , HIV Infections/prevention & control , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Male , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine the type of care that can be achieved and the epidemiological profile of patients attending the 3 public dental practices in the Haut-Sassandra region, in Côte d'Ivoire. The data collection concerned socio-demographic characteristics, reason for consultation, oral hygiene, dental condition, malocclusions and the availability of equipment for the performance of procedures. The 400 patients observed (51.5% male) were aged 16.0 to 86.0 years (mean=35.5 years; SD=13.1 years). The main reasons for consultation were pain (91.5%) and aesthetics (23.5%). Oral hygiene was insufficient for 36.8% of subjects. Oral conditions were malocclusions (12.8%), caries (98.7%) and edentulous (65.7%) with only 11.8% with prosthesis. The average DMFT index was 9.3. Only extractions and resin attached prostheses were possible in all 3 health facilities. Preventive dentistry (sealent, fluoridation), dentofacial orthopedics and implantology were not available in any dental practice. The most frequently performed acts were extractions (74.5%). The results of this study highlight the need for oral health planning with service equipment and awareness among populations who shouldn't wait until they are in pain to consult.
ABSTRACT
En chirurgie dentaire, les personnels de santé et les patients sont exposés à certains risques d'infection en absence de mesures d'hygiène appropriées. Ainsi, la présente étude avait pour objectif d'évaluer les connaissances et pratiques des personnels du Centre de Consultations et de Traitements Odonto-Stomatologiques (CCTOS) en matière d'hygiène. L'étude de type transversal a concerné les personnels de soins du CCTOS. Les informations collectées à l'aide d'un questionnaire ont porté différents paramètres en rapport avec l'hygiène en milieu de soins. Les résultats ont montré que les personnels de santé avaient une connaissance insuffisante des produits d'hygiène et méthodes de désinfection. Moins du 1/3 de l'ensemble des personnels a déclaré porter des lunettes de protection lors des soins. Ces résultants commandent l'engagement de tous dans la démarche qualité afin de garantir la sécurité des personnels soignant et des patients
