Michele Giuliani, Cosimo Rupe, Silvio Abati, Paolo Arduino, Lorenzo Azzi, Elena Bardellini, Giulia Bardini, Lavinia Barone, Selene Barone, Maria Eleonora Bizzoca, Giuseppina Campisi, Claudia Caravetta, Raffaella Castagnola, Marco Cicciù, Maria Contaldo, Francesca Conti, Noemi Coppola, Massimo Cordaro, Elisabetta Cotti, Roberto Di Lenarda, Davide Farronato, Gianfranco Favia, Olga Anna Furchì, Andrea Gabusi, Alessio Gambino, Marco Gargari, Ilaria Giovannacci, Davide Gissi, Amerigo Giudice, Luigi Laino, Gaetano La Mantia, Luisa Limongelli, Lorenzo Lo Muzio, Alessandra Majorana, Mirko Martelli, Marco Mascitti, Michele Davide Mignogna, Pietro Montagna, Pier Francesco Nocini, Romeo Patini, Matteo Pellegrini, Monica Pentenero, Antonio Rapani, Silvana Rizzo, Umberto Romeo, Vincenzo Ronsivalle, Diana Russo, Andrea Santarelli, Francesco Scilla, Rosario Serpico, Francesco Spadari, Gianluca Tenore, Ludovica Vassalli, Paolo Vescovi, Gioele Gioco, Carlo Lajolo
The findings suggest that Italian dental students are generally well-prepared to treat HIV-positive patients without discrimination. Practical training fosters confidence, as evidenced by the high willingness to provide care even among students with no prior experience in treating HIV-positive individuals. However, geographic disparities and the influence of stress on discriminatory behaviour highlight areas for improvement in dental education.
AIMS: To evaluate the attitudes of Italian dental students towards HIV-infected patients and explore factors influencing discriminatory behaviour.
METHODS: This observational, multicentric survey analysed responses from dental students across Italian Dental Schools. The questionnaire covered demographic data, interactions with HIV-positive patients, knowledge of HIV infection, and adherence to preventive protocols.
RESULTS: A total of 470 questionnaires were analysed. Thirty two students (6.8%) reported discriminatory attitudes, with the highest prevalence in Northern Italy (9.8%), compared to 6.5% in Central Italy and 0.9% in Southern Italy (p = 0.006). Nearly half of the respondents (231/470) had been asked to treat HIV-positive patients, with requests significantly more frequent in Northern Italy (65.4%) than in Central (43.8%) and Southern Italy (22.7%) (p = 0.001). Students who treated HIV-positive patients as first operators demonstrated a higher likelihood of discriminatory behaviour (OR = 43.9, 95% CI: 5.9-327.8, p = 0.009) compared to second operators (OR = 13.4, 95% CI: 1.47-121.7, p = 0.02). Stress perception during these treatments correlated with discriminatory attitudes (ANOVA test, p = 0.008). Despite these findings, most students showed strong knowledge about HIV, with 99.8% identifying correct transmission routes and 85.6% aware of post-exposure prophylaxis. Additionally, 91.8% expressed interest in further education on HIV-dentistry topics.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that Italian dental students are generally well-prepared to treat HIV-positive patients without discrimination. Practical training fosters confidence, as evidenced by the high willingness to provide care even among students with no prior experience in treating HIV-positive individuals. However, geographic disparities and the influence of stress on discriminatory behaviour highlight areas for improvement in dental education.