Reluctance of people living with HIV in Malaysia to disclose status in dental settings: a cross-sectional study

Résumé fourni par la source

This cross-sectional study investigated the reluctance of PLWH to disclose their status to dentists. We included 224 PLWH who were receiving primary HIV medical care from a hospital in Malaysia. Participants’ willingness to disclose their HIV status, knowledge about HIV-related oral problems, attitude toward oral healthcare, and demographic profile were collected using a structured questionnaire. Participants’ medical profiles were retrieved from their medical records. Almost half of the participants (45.1%) were reluctant to disclose their HIV status. The most common reasons were personal rights (68.3%) and concerns about inconveniences, including treatment refusal and discrimination (52.5%). Active smokers and participants with higher attitude scores were less likely to report reluctance to disclose their status (p < 0.001). In conclusion, concerns related to personal rights and potential inconveniences were the main barriers to HIV status disclosure among our participants, which was associated with their smoking status and attitude toward oral healthcare.

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