Assessment of Knowledge and Attitude among MAHSA Medical Students towards HIV/AIDS

Abstract

According to the Ministry of Health Statistics, there have been 87,710 confirmed HIV infectedcases in Malaysia. Objective: To determine how well MAHSA University medical studentsknew about HIV/AIDS. Method: This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based studyconducted at MAHSA University's School of Medicine. The surveys focused on differentmechanisms of transmission, high-risk behaviours, and prevention strategies. Result: A total of360 medical students participate in this study. Medical students in pre-clinical years hadsubstantially higher knowledge ratings than those in clinical years (p=0.045). Comfortablenessdealing with HIV/AIDS patients had the highest stigmatizing score (3.78 ± 0.86). Attitudestoward imposed measures had the lowest stigmatization score (mean 2.60 ± 0.62), knowledgescore is significantly correlate with stigmatizing attitude (P=0.004). In addition, higherknowledge scores were shown among medical students who reported to have previousencounters with patients living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) (p<0.001). Knowledge scores weresignificantly low among the patients living with HIV (PEWHIV) (4.2 ± 1.67) (P=0.019).Concerning mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS infection, clinical medical studentsshowed higher degree of knowledge as compare with preclinical years medical students with P<0.05. Conclusion: The knowledge of medical students in Mashsa University is generallyhigh, awareness of HIV transmission from mother to child through breast milk is still lacking,indicating that this is the most significant feature that has to be stressed and improved in futuremedical curriculum for better health care services and public education.