Attitudes of Dental Students Towards HIV + Patients: A Multi‐Center Survey Among Italian Universities

AIMS: To evaluate the attitudes of Italian dental students towards HIV-infected patients and explore factors influencing discriminatory behaviour. METHODS: This observational, multicentric survey analysed responses from dental students across Italian Dental Schools. The questionnaire covered demographic data, interactions with HIV-positive patients, knowledge of HIV infection, and adherence to preventive protocols. RESULTS: A total of 470 questionnaires were analysed. Thirty two students (6.8%) reported discriminatory attitudes, with the highest prevalence in Northern Italy (9.8%), compared to 6.5% in Central Italy and 0.9% in Southern Italy (p = 0.006). Nearly half of the respondents (231/470) had been asked to treat HIV-positive patients, with requests significantly more frequent in Northern Italy (65.4%) than in Central (43.8%) and Southern Italy (22.7%) (p = 0.001). Students who treated HIV-positive patients as first operators demonstrated a higher likelihood of discriminatory behaviour (OR = 43.9, 95% CI: 5.9-327.8, p = 0.009) compared to second operators (OR = 13.4, 95% CI: 1.47-121.7, p = 0.02). Stress perception during these treatments correlated with discriminatory attitudes (ANOVA test, p = 0.008). Despite these findings, most students showed strong knowledge about HIV, with 99.8% identifying correct transmission routes and 85.6% aware of post-exposure prophylaxis. Additionally, 91.8% expressed interest in further education on HIV-dentistry topics. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that Italian dental students are generally well-prepared to treat HIV-positive patients without discrimination. Practical training fosters confidence, as evidenced by the high willingness to provide care even among students with no prior experience in treating HIV-positive individuals. However, geographic disparities and the influence of stress on discriminatory behaviour highlight areas for improvement in dental education.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
European Journal Of Dental Education
Published
2026-09-11
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.70302
Primary Topic
HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
article

Attitudes of Dental Students Towards HIV + Patients: A Multi‐Center Survey Among Italian Universities

Maria Contaldo, Cosimo Rupe, F. Spadari, Alessandra Majorana et al.
European Journal Of Dental Education
HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
article

Attitudes of Dental Students Towards HIV + Patients: A Multi‐Center Survey Among Italian Universities

Maria Contaldo, Cosimo Rupe, F. Spadari, Alessandra Majorana, Roberto Di Lenarda, Umberto Romeo, Andrea Gabusi, Francesca Conti, Massimo Cordaro, Raffaella Castagnola, Maria Eleonora Bizzoca, Elisabetta Cotti, Paolo G. Arduino, Romeo Patini, Gianfranco Favia, Silvio Abati, Marco Mascitti, Ilaria Giovannacci, Vincenzo Ronsivalle, Luigi Laino, Amerigo Giudice, Selene Barone, Paolo Vescovi, Davide Bartolomeo Gissi, Lorenzo Lo Muzio, Noemi Coppola, Davide Farronato, Monica Pentenero, R Serpico, Matteo Pellegrini, Michele Giuliani, Giulia Bardini, Giuseppina Campisi, Antonio Rapani, Gioele Gioco, Alessio Gambino, Mirko Martelli, Lavinia Barone, M Gargari, Silvana Rizzo, Gianluca Tenore, Lorenzo Azzi, Luisa Limongelli, Carlo Lajolo, Gaetano La Mantia, Elena Bardellini, Francesco Scilla, Andrea Santarelli, P. Montagna, Pier Francesco Nocini, Olga Anna Furchì, Diana RUSSO, Michele Davide Mignogna, Ludovica Vassalli, Claudia Caravetta, Marco Cicciù
article en

Abstract

AIMS: To evaluate the attitudes of Italian dental students towards HIV-infected patients and explore factors influencing discriminatory behaviour. METHODS: This observational, multicentric survey analysed responses from dental students across Italian Dental Schools. The questionnaire covered demographic data, interactions with HIV-positive patients, knowledge of HIV infection, and adherence to preventive protocols. RESULTS: A total of 470 questionnaires were analysed. Thirty two students (6.8%) reported discriminatory attitudes, with the highest prevalence in Northern Italy (9.8%), compared to 6.5% in Central Italy and 0.9% in Southern Italy (p = 0.006). Nearly half of the respondents (231/470) had been asked to treat HIV-positive patients, with requests significantly more frequent in Northern Italy (65.4%) than in Central (43.8%) and Southern Italy (22.7%) (p = 0.001). Students who treated HIV-positive patients as first operators demonstrated a higher likelihood of discriminatory behaviour (OR = 43.9, 95% CI: 5.9-327.8, p = 0.009) compared to second operators (OR = 13.4, 95% CI: 1.47-121.7, p = 0.02). Stress perception during these treatments correlated with discriminatory attitudes (ANOVA test, p = 0.008). Despite these findings, most students showed strong knowledge about HIV, with 99.8% identifying correct transmission routes and 85.6% aware of post-exposure prophylaxis. Additionally, 91.8% expressed interest in further education on HIV-dentistry topics. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that Italian dental students are generally well-prepared to treat HIV-positive patients without discrimination. Practical training fosters confidence, as evidenced by the high willingness to provide care even among students with no prior experience in treating HIV-positive individuals. However, geographic disparities and the influence of stress on discriminatory behaviour highlight areas for improvement in dental education.

European Journal Of Dental Education
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (IT), University of Foggia (IT), University of Insubria (IT), University of Rome Tor Vergata (IT), University of Verona (IT), Marche Polytechnic University (IT), University of Parma (IT), University of Trieste (IT), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (IT), University of Cagliari (IT), University of Pavia (IT), Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (IT), Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic (IT), Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico (IT), Magna Graecia University (IT), University of Catania (IT), Federico II University Hospital (IT), University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" (IT), Department of Medical Sciences (BY), Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Policlinico "Paolo Giaccone" di Palermo (IT), University of Turin (IT), University of Bari Aldo Moro (IT), University of Naples Federico II (IT), University of Brescia (IT), Sapienza University of Rome (IT), University of Palermo (IT), University of Bologna (IT)
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 11%
HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.