Discrimination of people living with hiv/aids: a survey with dentists in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract Background Despite several decades of fighting HIV infection, discrimination against people living with this infection persists, even among health professionals. Understanding the determinants of discriminatory attitudes of dentists is a first step towards access to oral health care and improved care for people living with HIV (PLHIV). Objectives To analyse the determinants of discriminatory attitudes towards people living with HIV among dentists in Côte d’Ivoire. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among dentists in Abidjan in 2016. In addition to socio-professional characteristics, a questionnaire collected information on their knowledge about HIV (transmission, hiv-related oral diseases) and their individual perception (fear of being contaminated, cross-contamination...). The chi2 test for independent sampling was used to identify factors associated with discriminatory attitudes (threshold α = 5%). Results A total of 120 dentists were interviewed: 61.3% from the public sector; 56.7% men; 54.2% in couple; 53.3% had participated in continuing education on HIV; 29.2% did not know HIV-related diseases and transmission modes and 69.2% reported fear of being infected during care; 44.2% reported informing staff of the patient’s HIV status. The proportion of dentists with discriminatory attitudes was estimated at 69.2%. The main associated factors were: female gender (p = 0.001), living in couple (p = 0.000), lack of knowledge of the risk of HIV transmission after a blood exposure accident (p = 0.000), the law protecting people living with HIV in Côte d’Ivoire (p = 0.009) and fear of being infected (p = 0.000). Conclusions The results of this study show that the determinants of discriminatory attitudes among dentists result from their lack of knowledge of the disease, justifying the need to strengthen their continuing education on HIV/AIDS infection. Key messages Dentists discrimination towards people living with HIV infection result from their lack of knowledge about the infection. It’s essential to strengthen their knowledge about HIV in order to improve access to care for people living with HIV.