Chinese health care providers’ attitudes about HIV: a review

Abstract

China has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the world with an increase in reported cases of about 30% yearly (UNAIDS, 2004). As the epidemic has grown, there have been several studies of health care provider attitudes towards HIV in China over the last 15 years. While attitudes have evolved, misconceptions about transmission of HIV, low levels of support for people living with HIV/AIDS and stigmatized groups, and a poor understanding of the importance of condoms in HIV prevention, remain. The studies are limited by a weakness of survey instruments and an absence of focus on the gendered nature of the HIV epidemic. Recommendations for future research in this area include development of a theoretical base, consideration of gender and stigma, and incorporation of these issues into the survey instruments.

The Investigation of Knowledge About and Attitude Toward HIV Among Healthcare Professionals in a Tertiary Hospital

“…Nonetheless, differences in attitudes toward a friend/collague or patient with HIV/AIDS among our HCWs seem to indicate the controversy on response to actual or presumed lifestyles of PHA and response to the infection of the disease. Based on the fact that the attitudes of health care providers are a key dimension of successful prevention efforts concerning HIV and considerable barrier to the provision of treatment and care for patients with HIV/AIDS as a result of stigma within health care settings [17][18][19], and the link between high level of knowledge and positive attitudes towards HIV/AIDS, a need for effective strategies to improve education programmes with complete knowledge of HIV/AIDS and encouragement of positive attitudes and behaviours towards HIV/AIDS seem mandatory.…”

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of students from a medicine faculty, dentistry faculty, and medical technology Vocational Training School toward HIV/AIDS

“…HIV/AIDS literature has traditionally emphasized problems caused by stigmatising HIV/AIDS carriers. Prevention of HIV is a global priority, and the attitudes of health care providers are a key dimension of successful prevention efforts; however, stigma within health care settings poses a considerable barrier to the provision of treatment and care for patients with HIV/AIDS [18][19][20]. This barrier may cause serious social problems in the community.…”

“…One of the most important results of our study is the fact that the necessity to change the wrong attitudes toward this group of patients should be emphasized in HIV/AIDS education programs of students who will become health care providers in the future. Many studies have emphasized that education should be intended for changing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour [12,[18][19][20]. A positive change in attitude and behaviour as knowledge increases suggests that education should be improved not only in quantity, but also in quality.…”

The social stigma of HIV–AIDS: society's role

“…Infected people might feel inferior to others if it is disclosed that they have tested positive, they are inherently fragile, prone to panic and run, a dangerous situation not so much because of the damage they do to individuals, but due to being vulnerable to explosive emotions of anger, depression and anxiety that lead them to negative thoughts. The problem ends up being a vicious cycle 62–64…”