1.Stigmatizing attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) among primary health care providers in Kinta District, Perak
Maliza binti Mawardi ; Chan Yuen Ching ; Adibah Hanim binti Ismail @Daud
Malaysian Family Physician 2021;16(1):31-38
Background: Stigmatizing attitudes expressed by health care providers prevent some members of
at-risk populations from accessing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening and care.
This attitude contributes to the continuity of the infection dissemination within our community,
which gives an impact on the healthcare service and the curtailment of the global HIV/acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic.
Objective: This study was conducted to identify stigmatizing attitudes toward people living with
HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and their determinants among primary health care providers in Kinta
District, Perak.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 36 primary care clinics in Kinta District,
Perak. Using stratified random sampling, 365 primary health care providers were recruited into
the study. A validated self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain sociodemographic data
as well as information on the healthcare experiences of healthcare providers, their knowledge of
HIV/AIDS, and attitudes toward PLWHA. Determinants were identified using multiple linear
regression.
Results: More than half of the respondents (54.1%) had never provided care to HIV/AIDS
patients. A minority (29.9%) had received training on HIV/AIDS. This study shows that doctors
(Coef.= -9.50, 95% CI: -18.93, -0.07, p= 0.048), respondents with HIV-positive relatives,
(Coef.= -5.61, 95% CI: -10.57, -0.65, p= 0.027), those who had provided care to HIV/AIDS
patients (Coef.= -2.38, 95% CI: -4.31, -0.45, p= 0.016), and those with a higher knowledge
score on HIV/AIDS (Coef.= -0.86, 95% CI: -1.59, -0.13, p= 0.021) were less likely to show
stigmatizing attitudes toward PLWHA.
Conclusion: The issue of stigmatizing attitudes toward PLWHA among primary health care
providers needs to be addressed. This study finds that knowledge, profession, experiences with
caring for PLWHA, gender, and having HIV-positive relatives are significant predictors of
stigmatizing attitudes toward PLWHA among primary health care providers in Kinta District,
Perak. Interventional programs to improve knowledge and awareness, as well as decrease stigma
toward PLWHA, should be implemented among all health care providers, especially those who
have no opportunity to provide direct care.