HIV Infection Risk Perception & Stigmatizing Attitude: Results of Surveys of Dwellers from the Central Administrative District of Moscow
AIM:
To study
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection risk perception and stigmatizing
attitudes in the dwellers of the Central Administrative District of Moscow.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS:
An
anonymous survey was conducted using specially developed questionnaires. A
total of 893 people were interviewed. Each of the given indicators was used to
ask 98 to 254 respondents. Among the survey participants, there were 92
healthcare workers, including 66 physicians and 26 representatives of
middle-level and junior medical staff. According to their replies, the
respondents were divided into 2 groups: 1) healthcare workers; 2)
representatives of the so-called general population.
RESULTS:
91.3% of
the healthcare workers gave a negative reply to the question: "Should
contacts (intercourse) with people living with HIV (AIDS) be avoided to escape
infection?". In Group 2, 58.8 and 23.5% of the respondents answered
negatively and positively, respectively; and 17.6% had difficulty answering the
question. In the general population group, 44.10% of the respondents answered
negatively and 32.2% had difficulty answering the question: "Would you
agree to live in the same room with anybody whom you know or suspect to be HIV
positive?"; 23.8% agreed to do this. Among the healthcare workers, there
were 46.7% of the respondents who answered positively. When the question:
"Would you agree to send your child (grandson) to the kindergarten if you
would learn that a HIV-infected child goes there?" was asked, 48.6 and
18.7% of the respondents in the general population group answered negatively
and positively, respectively; 32.7% had difficulty answering. In the group of
healthcare workers, 66.7% answered positively. Among both the healthcare
workers and the representatives of the general population, more than 60% of the
respondents agreed with the statement that "HIV-infected people lead a
loose life".
CONCLUSION:
The
specific features of perceiving a HIV infection risk and showing stigmatizing
attitudes towards HIV-infected patients make the forming less dangerous
behaviors difficult and restrict an access to care and support in infected
patients. The training of healthcare workers in issues related to HIV infection
should involve the identification of stigmatizing attitudes and the application
of destigmatization strategies.
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