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Iranians' Attitudes About Possible Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission in Dental Settings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Mehrdad Askarian ,
Kamran Mirzaei  and
Ojan Assadian
Mehrdad Askarian*
Affiliation:
Department of Community Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Kamran Mirzaei
Affiliation:
Department of Community Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Ojan Assadian
Affiliation:
Clinical Institute for Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
*
Department of Community Medicine, Shiraz Medical School, P.O. Box 71345-1737, Shiraz, Iran (askariam@sums.ac.ir)
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Abstract

We conducted a cross-sectional survey from October through December 2004 of 8,312 residents of Shiraz, Iran, to investigate Iranians' perceptions about undergoing dental treatment in dental offices where other patients or the dentist and/or dental assistants are infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Most survey respondents (83%) had acceptable general knowledge about the mode of transmission of HIV and about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS); however, many misconceptions were observed. A negative association was detected between the level of concern about contracting HIV/AIDS and the intention to continue treatment in services where patients with HIV/AIDS were also treated or where the dentist and/or dental assistants had HIV/AIDS.

Type
Concise Communication
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 28 , Issue 2 , February 2007 , pp. 234 - 237
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2007

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