A Cross-Sectional Study to Assess HIV/AIDS-Related Stigma and Its Drivers Among Dental Healthcare Providers in Islamabad, Pakistan

Introduction HIV-related stigma and discrimination among healthcare providers are some of the strongest obstacles to effectively responding to HIV and achieving health-related quality of life. In the Pakistani context, HIV-related discrimination has been explored mainly among people living with HIV (PLHIV), and no study has investigated HIV-related stigma from the perspective of dental healthcare providers. Aim This study aimed to investigate the HIV-related stigma among dental healthcare workers in Pakistan and understand the factors associated with it. Methodology This cross-sectional study was conducted for a period of three months (December 2021 to February 2022) among 601 consenting dental healthcare providers in all public and private dental healthcare facilities in Islamabad, Pakistan. Pretested questionnaires collected information on demographics, work-related characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding HIV/AIDS. HIV-related stigma was assessed through “the stigma index” developed by USAID and was measured as a continuous variable. Multivariate linear regression analysis evaluated the independent effect of different factors associated with HIV-related stigma. Results HIV-related stigma remains highly prevalent within both public and private dental healthcare facilities in ICT and among all cadres of dental healthcare providers. Among associated factors, misconceptions in HIV knowledge are highly significant (p < 0.001) and those with a higher score of incorrect HIV knowledge had higher levels of stigma. Healthcare providers who read any HIV-related manual or guidelines were found to be less stigmatized as compared to those who have not been exposed to any such literature (p=0.029). Dentists (p=0.04) showed higher levels of stigma as compared to dental assistants and dental hygienists, while employees of private hospitals (p=0.0) and private clinics (p=0.0) were far more stigmatized by HIV in comparison to dental healthcare providers in public hospitals. Conclusion This study provides the first-ever analysis of HIV-related stigma and its drivers in the dental healthcare settings in Pakistan and highlights multiple individual, clinical, and policy-level factors associated with it. In order to address this stigma, it is essential for healthcare institutions to create supportive and inclusive healthcare settings, by providing education and training to care providers in order to increase their understanding of the disease itself. In addition, healthcare institutions can take steps to ensure that their policies and practices are inclusive and non-discriminatory, such as implementing policies that prohibit discrimination based on HIV status and providing confidential care. On the other hand, care providers must work to recognize their own biases and strive to provide non-discriminatory and culturally sensitive care to all patients. The findings of this study could be used as a baseline and insight by organizations like the National AIDS Control Program into possible targets for future exploration and interventions to effectively reduce the stigma toward PLHIV in dental healthcare settings.