The knowledge and attitude of Turkish pre-clinic and clinic dental students towards the dental treatment of patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is one of the most stigmatised diseases which leads the individuals to feel alone with the social and economic anxiety. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of dental undergraduate students about human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS. METHODS: This study comprised pre-clinic and clinic students of School of Dentistry, Usak University, Usak, Turkey. A web-based questionnaire (WBQ) was administered to total of 280 students. The data were collected and interpreted. RESULTS: According to AIDS Knowledge Questionnaire and AIDS Attitude scale (AAS), there was a statistically significant difference only in the protection dimension (P ≤ 0.05). No statistically significant difference was found between pre-clinic and clinic groups with respect to the AAS (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Despite the fact that they all had lack of information about HIV/AIDS, clinic group had better knowledge about how they could protect themselves. Also, they all had stigmatized attitudes towards this group of patients.