Table 3 Distribution of professionals’ answers on biosafety and dental care of HIV+ patients
Questions | Distribution of answers (%) | P value* | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Women (n = 162) | Men (n = 80) | ||||||
Yes | No | Do not know/ Maybe | Yes | No | Do not know/ Maybe | ||
After accident with a sharp object: | |||||||
- Would you be worried to be infected? | 87.7 | 2.5 | 9.7 | 85 | 1.3 | 13.8 | > 0.05 |
- Would you be tested for HIV? | 82.7 | 3.1 | 14.2 | 80 | 2.5 | 14.6 | > 0.05 |
Can dental professionals act as an intermediary for transmission of HIV? | 83.3 | 14.2 | 2.5 | 88.8 | 10 | 1.3 | > 0.05 |
Can patients with HIV/ AIDS contaminate dental professionals? | 98.8 | 1.2 | 0 | 91.3 | 8.8 | 0 | 0.007 |
Can needle stick injury transmit HIV? | 96.3 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 97.5 | 0 | 2.5 | > 0.05 |
Are medical professionals more prone to cross-contamination? | 82.7 | 14.8 | 2.5 | 85 | 8.8 | 6.3 | > 0.05 |
Can saliva be a vehicle for the transmission of AIDS? | 23.5 | 75.3 | 1.2 | 20 | 76.3 | 3.8 | > 0.05 |
Is there a lot of HIV particles in the saliva of HIV/AIDS patients? | 14.2 | 64.8 | 21 | 15 | 66.3 | 18.8 | > 0.05 |
Is hepatitis B more communicable than HIV/AIDS? | 81.5 | 9.3 | 9.3 | 86.3 | 5 | 8.8 | > 0.05 |
Can CPR in patients with AIDS transmit HIV infection? | 12.3 | 71.6 | 16 | 17.5 | 76.3 | 6.3 | > 0.05 |
Do infection control methods for hepatitis B provide adequate protection against the transmission of HIV? | 77.8 | 16 | 6.2 | 73.8 | 18.8 | 7.5 | > 0.05 |
Are there special dental clinics for treatment of HIV/AIDS patients in Brazil? | 22.8 | 19.8 | 57.4 | 35 | 10 | 55 | 0.044 |
Do all sterilization methods have cidal effects against HIV? | 59.9 | 36.5 | 4.9 | 70 | 23.8 | 6.3 | > 0.05 |
Can HIV be transmitted through aerosols by handpieces? | 19.1 | 61.7 | 19.1 | 21.3 | 62.5 | 16.3 | > 0.05 |
Do the negative HIV tests surely indicate that the persons are free of viruses? | 4.9 | 92 | 3.1 | 16.3 | 83.8 | 0 | 0.005 |
Is Western blot a definite test for HIV/AIDS diagnosis? | 26.5 | 28.4 | 45.1 | 40 | 21.3 | 38.8 | > 0.05 |
Is ELISA a screening test for HIV infection? | 83.3 | 3.7 | 13 | 76.3 | 6.3 | 17.5 | > 0.05 |
Is the specificity of the HIV tests 100%? | 19.1 | 61.1 | 19.8 | 27.5 | 52.5 | 20 | > 0.05 |