Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Exploring educational and promotional opportunities for implementing oral rapid human immunodeficiency virus testing among dentists in India

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. R. Yashoda
. Manjunath P. Puranik
. Soni Rajput

Department of Public Health Dentistry, Goa Dental College and Hospital, Bambolim, Goa, India

Abstract
CONTEXT: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a public health problem in India. Dentist plays
an important role in diagnosing since oral lesions are common in HIV‑positive patients and have an
ethical responsibility to provide treatment to them.
AIMS: This study aims to explore educational and promotional opportunities for implementing oral
rapid HIV testing (ORHT) among dentists in Bengaluru, India.
SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A cross‑sectional study was conducted among 300 dentists. Dentists
were included from private practice, dental practice in general hospital, and dental teaching/hospitals.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A 43‑item questionnaire was used to assess demographics, educational
knowledge on HIV and ORHT, attitude toward HIV patients, and willingness to promote ORHT and
perceived barriers of performing ORHT.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: The data were evaluated using SPSS 22. Student’s t‑test,
Chi‑square, Pearson correlation, and binary logistics were used keeping P value at 5%.
RESULTS: Mean age of the participants was 38.97 ± 7.69 years with equal distribution of gender
and practice. Majority were postgraduates (63.0%) and having general practice (56.6%). Although
two‑thirds of the participants belong to high score category, the mean knowledge level is below 50%.
Mean score of knowledge was 10.70 ± 2.5. One hundred and thirty (43.3%) dentists were aware of
ORHT, and 228 (76%) thought that ORHT was needed in the dental clinic. Dentist having specialty
practice felt more accepting of ORHT (odds ratio = 2.455, 95% confidence interval 1.186–5.463).
The lack of knowledge and training was the main barrier (39%) to conduct ORHT.
CONCLUSIONS: The level of knowledge of the dentist about HIV/AIDS was acceptable. Majority
of the dentist thought that ORHT is needed in a dental clinic. Overall, there was positive attitude
toward HIV patients and ORHT.

Keywords

Dental setting
human immunodeficiency virus
India
oral rapid human immunodeficiency virus testing
promotional opportunity
  1. Global Health Observatory Data. Available from: https://www.
    who.int/gho/hiv/en/. [Last accessed on 2019 May 16].
    2. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. Available
    from: https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/
    featurestories/2019/may/20190513_pmtct. [Last accessed on
    2019 May 16].
    3. Burt BA, Eklund SA, editors. Dentistry, dental practice and the
    community. The Healthy Dental Practice: Infection Control and
    Mercury Safety. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Elsevier Publishers; 2005.
    p. 138‑53.
    4. Wang L, Santella AJ, Huang R, Kou L, You L, Zhang X, et al.
    Knowledge of HIV and willingness to conduct oral rapid HIV
    testing among dentists in Xi’an China. PLoS One 2015;10:e0119274.
    5. Siegel K, Abel SN, Pereyra M, Liguori T, Pollack HA, Metsch LR.
    Rapid HIV testing in dental practices. Am J Public Health
    2012;102:625‑32.
    6. Hutchinson MK, VanDevanter N, Phelan J, Malamud D,
    Vernillo A, Combellick J, et al. Feasibility of implementing
    rapid oral fluid HIV testing in an urban university dental clinic:
    A qualitative study. BMC Oral Health 2012;12:11.
    7. Li R, Dong W, He W, Liu Y. Chinese dental students’ knowledge
    and attitudes toward HIV/AIDS. J Dent Sci 2016;11:72‑8.
    8. Erasmus S, Luiters S, Brijlal P. Oral hygiene and dental student’s
    knowledge, attitude and behaviour in managing HIV/AIDS
    patients. Int J Dent Hyg 2005;3:213‑7.
    9. Scully C, Greenspan JS. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
    transmission in dentistry. J Dent Res 2006;85:794‑800.
  2. 10. Abe EO, Kolude B, Adeyemi BF. HIV testing in dental practice:
    Perception and attitude of dentists in Southwestern Nigeria. Afr
    J Med Med Sci 2014;43:201‑8.
    11. Malamud D. Salivary diagnostics: The future is now. J Am Dent
    Assoc 2006;137:284, 286.
    12. Oberoi SS, Sharma N, Mohanty V, Marya C, Rekhi A, Oberoi A.
    Knowledge and attitude of faculty members working in dental
    institutions towards the dental treatment of patients with HIV/
    AIDS. Int Sch Res Notices 2014;2014:429692.
    13. Ellepola AN, Sundaram DB, Jayathilake S, Joseph BK, Sharma PN.
    Knowledge and attitudes about HIV/AIDS of dental students
    from Kuwait and Sri Lanka. J Dent Educ 2011;75:574‑81.
    14. Khosravanifard B, Rakhshan V, Ghasemi M, Pakdel A,
    Baradaran‑Eghbal S, Sheikholeslami R, et al. Tehran dentists’
    self‑reported knowledge and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS and
    observed willingness to treat simulated HIV‑positive patients.
    East Mediterr Health J 2012;18:928‑34.
    15. Patil PB, Sreenivasan V, Goel A. Knowledge of HIV/AIDS
    and attitude of dental students towards HIV/AIDS patients:
    A cross‑sectional survey. J Educ Ethics Dent 2011;1:59‑63.
    16. Ngaihte PC, Santella AJ, Ngaihte E, Watt RG, Raj SS, Vatsyayan V,
    et al. Knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus, attitudes, and
    willingness to conduct human immunodeficiency virus testing
    among Indian dentists. Indian J Dent Res 2016;27:4‑11.
    17. List of Dental Colleges in Karnataka. Available from: http://www.
    rguhs.ac.in/institutions_rguhs.html.[Last accessed on 2017 Jan 10].
    18. List of Dental Clinics and Corporate Hospitals in Bangalore.
    Available from: https://yellowpages.webindia123.com/d‑py/
    Karnataka/bangalore/dental‑clinics‑369/1. [Last accessed on
    2017 Jan 10].
    19. Vučićević‑Boras V, Cekić‑Arambašin A, Alajbeg I. Dentist
    knowledge of HIV infection. Acta Stomatol Croat 2001;35:9‑13.
    20. Kadeh H, Saravani S, Golzari P. Knowledge, attitude and practice
    of dentists towards patients with HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis
    C infections. Avicenna J Dent Res 2014;6:e21348.
    21. Ryalat ST, Sawair FA, Shayyab MH, Amin WM. The knowledge
    and attitude about HIV/AIDS among Jordanian dental
    students: (Clinical versus pre clinical students) at the university
    of Jordan. BMC Res Notes 2011;4:191.
    22. Prabhu A, Rao AP, Reddy V, Krishnakumar R, Thayumanavan S,
    Swathi SS. HIV/AIDS knowledge and its implications on dentists.
    J Nat Sci Biol Med 2014;5:303‑7.
    23. Magalhaes VC, Oliverira DL, Prado FO. Knowledge, risk
    perception and attitudes of dentistry students with regard to
    HIV/AIDS. Rev Gaúch Odontol Porto Alegre 2015;63:291‑300.
    24. Guidelines for HIV Screening and Testing. Available from:
    https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/guidelines/testing.html. [Last
    accessed on 2017 Feb 25].
    25. World Health Organisation. Factsheet about HIV/AIDS: The
    Infection. Available from: http://www.who.int/hiv/abouthiv/
    fact_sheet_hiv.htm. [Last accessed on 2017 Feb 25].
    26. Patton LL, Shugars DA, Bonito AJ. A systematic review of
    complication risks for HIV‑positive patients undergoing invasive
    dental procedures. J Am Dent Assoc 2002;133:195‑203.
    27. OSHA Guidelines and Standards. Available from: http://www.
    osap.org. [Last accessed on 2017 Feb 16].
    28. Government of India. Ministry of Environment, Forest and
    Climate Change. Notification Published in the Gazette of India,
    Biomedical Waste Management Rule. Government of India; 2016.
Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 9, Issue 12
December 2019
Pages 1-7

Home

Guide for Authors

Submit Manuscript

Reviewers

Contact Us