title: Another Generation of Stigma? Assessing Healthcare Student Perceptions of HIV-Positive Patients in Mwanza, Tanzania.
abstract: HIV-related stigma remains a persistent global health concern among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA) in developing nations. The literature is lacking in studies about healthcare students' perceptions of PLWA. This study is the first effort to understand stigmatizing attitudes toward HIV-positive patients by healthcare students in Mwanza, Tanzania, not just those who will be directly treating patients but also those who will be indirectly involved through nonclinical roles, such as handling patient specimens and private health information. A total of 208 students were drawn from Clinical Medicine, Laboratory Sciences, Health Records and Information Management, and Community Health classes at the Tandabui Institute of Health Sciences and Technology for a voluntary survey that assessed stigmatizing beliefs toward PLWA. Students generally obtained high scores on the overall survey instrument, pointing to low stigmatizing beliefs toward PLWA and an overall willingness to treat PLWA with the same standard of care as other patients. However, there are gaps in knowledge that exist among students, such as a comprehensive understanding of all routes of HIV infection. The study also suggests that students who interact with patients as part of their training are less likely to exhibit stigmatizing beliefs toward PLWA. A comprehensive course in HIV infection, one that includes classroom sessions focused on the epidemiology and routes of transmission as well as clinical opportunities to directly interact with PLWA-perhaps through teaching sessions led by PLWA-may allow for significant reductions in stigma toward such patients and improve clinical outcomes for PLWA around the world.
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, University of California , Irvine, California.
authors.forename: Sahil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, University of California , Irvine, California.
authors.forename: Debora H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, University of California , Irvine, California.
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Minteer
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, University of California , Irvine, California.
authors.forename: Reece T H
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Fenning
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, University of California , Irvine, California.
authors.forename: Shella K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Raja
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, University of California , Irvine, California.
authors.forename: Megan E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, University of California , Irvine, California.
authors.forename: Kaavya R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Raman
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, University of California , Irvine, California.
authors.forename: Sean P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Denny
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, University of California , Irvine, California.
authors.forename: Priya A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, University of California , Irvine, California.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lieber
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, University of California , Irvine, California.
authors.forename: Allison O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Farfel
authors.affiliation: 2 Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California , Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, California.
authors.forename: Catherine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Diamond
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D010465:Perception; D057545:Social Stigma; D013240:Stereotyping; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: AIDS; HIV; patient care