Willingness of health-professions students to treat patients with AIDS. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Willingness of health-professions students to treat patients with AIDS.

Acad Med. 1990 Jul;65(7):472-4. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/91054751
Currey CJ; Johnson M; Ogden B; College of Health Related Professions, J. Hillis Miller Health; Center, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610.

Abstract: This 1988-89 survey of 319 students in the medical, dental, nursing, and allied health-care professions revealed that over one-third had some reservations about treating acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. Most were unwilling to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on patients with AIDS, and most also believed that health-care workers had the right to refuse care to AIDS patients. Unwillingness to treat AIDS patients was strongly associated with homophobic attitudes and concerns that patients with AIDS posed a risk to health professionals. AIDS education for health professionals should emphasize methods for the prevention of HIV infection among health workers, and include teaching strategies designed to deal with the irrational feelings that AIDS often engenders.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*PSYCHOLOGY *Attitude of Health Personnel Human Occupational Diseases/PSYCHOLOGY Questionnaires Refusal to Treat Resuscitation/PSYCHOLOGY Risk Southeastern United States Statistics Students, Health Occupations/*PSYCHOLOGY JOURNAL ARTICLEKWDacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/KWDpsychologyKWDattitudeofhealthpersonnelhumanoccupationaldiseases/psychologyquestionnairesrefusaltotreatresuscitation/psychologyrisksoutheasternunitedstatesstatisticsstudents,healthoccupations/KWDpsychologyjournalarticle
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M9130590

Copyright © 1991 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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