Knowledge and attitudes of health professionals in Chile towards people living with human immunodeficiency virus: A cross-national survey.

Introduction

People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) often experience discrimination from both other individuals and the health personnel who care for them. Chile has experienced a marked increase in the number of new HIV cases.

Methods

Prospective cross-sectional study. The HIV/AIDS questionnaire for providers and health personnel was obtained from the International Planned Parenthood Federation, initially carrying out a pilot test and evaluating its validity.

Results

A total of 784 health professionals answered the questionnaire correctly. Among them, 68.4% (n = 536) were women, and 36.2% (n = 284) were physicians. The study revealed that more than 90% of respondents had a positive attitude towards caring for people living with HIV, and more than 75% did not mind buying food from them or sharing services with them. Furthermore, more than 99% rejected the religiously endorsed labeling of people living with HIV/AIDS as immoral. Additionally, 95.5% (n = 749) mentioned that they did not feel anxious about knowing whether the next patient on their care list was living with HIV, and 76.9% (n = 603) of the respondents felt safe taking blood samples.

Conclusions

Chilean health professionals have good knowledge about HIV infection and its mode transmission. Their attitudes towards people living with HIV are also generally positive.