Opinión de los estudiantes de carreras sanitarias sobre problemas éticos relacionados con las personas VIH+ en centros docentes, de trabajo y sanitarios

Abstract

Objective: To describe the opinion of undergraduate health sciences students in the Basque Country universities (UPV/EHU) regarding ethical issues related to HIV-positive persons in schools, workplaces and health centers. Methods: Our population consisted of medical, nursing and dental undergraduate students attending UPV/EHU. An opinion survey was conducted among students attending lectures, on a randomly selected date in 2002-2003. The questionnaire included several items on ethical conflicts related to HIV-positive persons in different settings. Item responses consisted of a Likert-type scale with five possible levels of agreement (from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree"), as well as the option "I do not want to answer/I have no opinion about this". Results: 529 completed questionnaires were collected. 69% of respondents reported total disagreement with refusing to admit HIV+ students to primary schools, and 77% with dismissal of HIV+ workers. Approximately 90% of respondents felt managers should be aware of the HIV+ status of their employees. 78% of the students did not report disagreement with having HIV+ schoolmates in classrooms. Respondents generally disagreed with employment limitations for HIV+ health care workers, 60% strongly disagreed with health workers refusing to treat HIV+ persons, 69% considered that HIV testing should be compulsory for health workers, and 55% that health workers should know their patients´ HIV status. Conclusions: In general terms, our students are against social and employment limitations targeting HIV+ persons, but favor disclosure of HIV status in schools and health centres.