Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Among the preventive approaches proposed to control this disease is pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), whose effectiveness depends on the medication adherence. The aim of the present study was to determine the knowledge and attitudes about PrEP among a sample of Spanish nursing students as well as their intentions of receiving it in case it was indicated. An observational cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out. A total of 570 nursing students from the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), ≥18 years old and of both sexes were invited to self-complete a questionnaire between February and March 2020. A total of 352 students decided to participate in the study. Participants had low knowledge [overall knowledge score 1(0–2)] and a neutral attitude towards PrEP. The intention of receiving PrEP improved significantly after the completion of the questionnaire and the administration of information about PrEP (p = 0.039; before: 23.58% and after: 93.77%). Nursing staff play an important role in the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, so their training in preventive strategies, such as PrEP, could help to reduce the incidence of new cases of HIV infection.
Highlights
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) remains one of the sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) with high incidence and important associated morbidity and mortality [1]
The results of the current study reveal an important knowledge deficit, as well as a great indifference towards pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among nursing students, probably due to a lack of familiarity with this Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Due to the need to determine provider knowledge and attitudes prior to the planning of educational strategies for the prevention of HIV with the aim of maximising their impact, the results of this study are of great interest due to the important role nursing staff play in the prevention of STDs like HIV
Summary
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) remains one of the sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) with high incidence and important associated morbidity and mortality [1]. In Spain, with a rate of new HIV diagnoses higher than the average in European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) [2], a total of 3244 new cases of HIV infection were recorded in 2019, the majority in young men (85.3%, average median age of 36), mainly in men who have sex with men (MSM; 56.4%) [3] These figures reveal transmission through unprotected sex as the main route of virus spread, and they demonstrate the need for more preventive strategies in combination with classic interventions (such as condom use), which are clearly insufficient [4,5]. Public Health 2020, 17, 7151; doi:10.3390/ijerph17197151 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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