[Acceptance of HIV+ patients by health care workers as experienced by seropositive patients in Lodz Region, Poland].
Intensive education on HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) problems is carried out in Poland for more than 20 years and involves also health care workers. The aim is to diminish the fear and prejudice concerning HIV+ persons, who should have equal access to medical care. The aim of the study was to find out the HIV+ patients' opinion on the attitude of medical personnel toward patients living with HIV/AIDS 22 years after epidemic start in Poland.


METHODS
From April through July 2007, consecutive patients in AIDS outpatient setting in Lodz, Poland, were asked to fill in a questionnaire form anonymously.


RESULTS
Questionnaire forms were filled in by 73 patients: 49 men and 24 women who knew about their serologic status for 3 months - 16 years (mean 5.9 +/- 3.3). Many patients who revealed their serologic status faced unfriendly attitude of medical staff (30.0-39.3% in various settings) and some of them were refused medical care because of HIV infection. It happened most frequently in the dentist practice (23.3%), but also in hospital settings: in surgery (7.1%), in other settings (except for AIDS outpatient clinic) 3.6%. Outpatient specialist clinics refused medical care of 6.3% of patients. Many patients living with HIV/AIDS (12.5-36.5%) did not reveal their seropositivity, mainly because of fear of treatment refusal or bad experience in the past.


CONCLUSIONS
Discrimination of HIV positive patients by health care workers still happens in Lodz region and is not incidental. Education concerning HIV/AIDS infection is still necessary in medical personnel, especially in dentists.
Kliniki Chorób Zakaźnych i Hepatologii Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Lodzi.
Elzbieta
E
Jabłonowska
Ewa
E
Małolepsza
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D015658:HIV Infections; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D011044:Poland; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires