[01] Lee Ranee Meira, Faculty of Medicine, Manipal University College Malaysia, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [02] Nithyasri Vasudevan, Faculty of Medicine, Manipal University College Malaysia, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [03] Khoo Lee Siang, Faculty of Medicine, Manipal University College Malaysia, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [04] Chai Yu Shen, Faculty of Medicine, Manipal University College Malaysia, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has been the most dreaded and life threatening disease for the past decade. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and attitude regarding HIV/AIDs among students of Melaka Manipal Medical College. This cross-sectional study was conducted among all MBBS students of Manipal University College Malaysia (n=146) from April 2021 to May 2021. An online questionnaire was distributed and a total of 152 responses were received. The questionnaire consists of 22 items, asking about the knowledge of common routes of transmission, and any possible treatment for the disease, the next part consists of 33 questions which will be about the attitudes of participants toward HIV/AIDS. Statistical tests (Unpaired t-test and ANOVA test) were done using Epi Info software (version 7.2.4.0). High knowledge score (≥80) was seen among 3.29% of the students, moderate knowledge score (60-80) was found among 32.23% of the students and low knowledge score (≤55) was found among 64.47% of the students. Findings revealed that there was significant association between age and knowledge of HIV/AIDS (P=0.009), academic year and knowledge of HIV/AIDS (P=0.002), age and attitude towards HIV/AIDS (P=0.015) as well as religion and attitude towards HIV/AIDS (P=0.017), academic year and attitude towards HIV/AIDS (P=0.009) and lastly, parent’s occupation and attitude towards HIV/AIDS (P=0.004).

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Knowledge and Attitude Regarding HIV/AIDs, Undergraduate Medical Students, Cross-Sectional Study, Malaysia

[01] Baytner-Zamir R, Lorber M, Hermoni D. Assessment of the knowledge and attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS among pre-clinical medical students in Israel. BMC research notes. 2014 Dec; 7 (1): 1-2. [02] Morris RE, Turgut E. Human immunodeficiency virus: Quantifying the risk of transmission of HIV to dental health care workers. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 1990; 18: 294–8. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]. [03] Erasmus S, Luiters S, Brijlal P. Oral Hygiene and dental student's knowledge, attitude and behaviour in managing HIV/AIDS patients. Int J Dent Hyg. 2005; 3: 213–7. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]. [04] Oliveira E, Narendran S, Falcão A. Brazilian dental students’ knowledge and attitudes towards HIV infection. AIDS Care. 2002; 14: 569–76. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]. [05] Ryalat ST, Sawair FA, Shayyab MH, Amin WM. The knowledge and attitude about HIV/AIDS among Jordanian dental students: (Clinical versus pre clinical students) at the University of Jordan. BMC Res Notes. 2011; 4: 191. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]. [06] Tuchinda S, Chotpitayasunondh T, Teeraaratkul A. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of senior high school students regarding human immunodeficiency virus infection. J Thai Med Assoc 1998; 81: 130-5. [07] World Health Organization. Fact Sheet HIV/AIDS. [[Last accessed on 2018 Oct 26]. [08] Trivedi AN, Ayanian JZ. Perceived discrimination and use of preventive health services. J Gen Intern Med. 2006; 21: 553–8. [09] Van Ryn M, Fu SS. Paved with good intentions: Do public health and human service providers contribute to racial/ethnic disparities in health? Am J Public Health. 2003; 93: 248–55. [10] Ding L, Landon BE, Wilson IB, Wong MD, Shapiro MF, Cleary PD, et al. Predictors and consequences of negative physician attitudes toward HIV-infected injection drug users. Arch Intern Med. 2005; 165: 618–23. [11] Royse D, Birge B. Homophobia and attitudes towards AIDS patients among medical, nursing, and paramedical students. Psychol Rep. 1987; 61: 867–70. [12] Gordin FM, Willoughby AD, Levine LA, Gurel L, Neill KM. Knowledge of AIDS among hospital workers: Behavioral correlates and consequences. AIDS. 1987; 1: 183–8. [13] Ficarrotto TJ, Grade M, Bliwise N, Irish T. Predictors of medical and nursing students'levels of HIV-AIDS knowledge and their resistance to working with AIDS patients. Acad Med. 1990; 65: 470–1. [14] Tesch BJ, Simpson DE, Kirby BD. Medical and nursing students'attitudes about AIDS issues. Acad Med. 1990; 65: 467–9. [15] Bektaş HA, Kulakaç O. Knowledge and attitudes of nursing students toward patients living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV): A Turkish perspective. AIDS Care. 2007; 19: 888–94. [16] Lui PS, Sarangapany J, Begley K, Coote K, Kishore K. Medical and nursing students perceived knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning human immunodeficiency virus. [[Last cited on 2018 Feb 11]]; ISRN Public Health. 2014 2014: 1–9. [17] Choy KK, Rene TJ, Khan SA. Beliefs and attitudes of medical students from public and private universities in Malaysia towards individuals with HIV/AIDS. Scientific World Journal. 2013; 2013: 462826. [18] World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia New Delhi. Teaching HIV/AIDS in Medical Schools. World Health Organization, New Delhi, India, 1999. [19] Lehmann LS, Kasoff WS, Koch P, Federman DD. A survey of medical ethics education at U.S. and Canadian medical schools. Academic Medicine. 2004; 79 (7): 682–689. [20] Mattick K, Bligh J. Teaching and assessing medical ethics: where are we now? Journal of Medical Ethics. 2006; 32 (3): 181–185. [21] Baytner-Zamir, R., Lorber, M. & Hermoni, D. Assessment of the knowledge and attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS among pre-clinical medical students in Israel. BMC Res Notes 7, 168 (2014). https: //doi.org/10.1186/1756-0500-7-168 [22] Herek GM: AIDS and stigma. Am Behav Sci. 1999, 42: 1106-1116. 10.1177/00027649921954787. [23] Herek GM, Capitanio JP: AIDS stigma and sexual prejudice. Am Behav Sci. 1999, 42: 1130-1147. 10.1177/00027649921954804. [24] Mawar N, Sahay S, Pandit A, Mahajan U: The third phase of HIV pandemic: social consequences of HIV/AIDS stigma & discrimination & future needs. Indian J Med Res. 2005, 122: 471-484. [25] Reidpath DD, Chan KY: A method for the quantitative analysis of the layering of HIV-related stigma. AIDS Care. 2005, 17: 425-432. 10.1080/09540120412331319769. [26] Zukoski AP, Thorburn S: Experiences of stigma and discrimination among adults living with HIV in a low HIV-prevalence context: a qualitative analysis. AIDS Patient Care STDS. 2009, 23: 267-276. 10.1089/apc.2008.0168. [27] Chan KY, Yang Y, Zhang KL, Reidpath DD: Disentangling the stigma of HIV/AIDS from the stigmas of drugs use, commercial sex and commercial blood donation – a factorial survey of medical students in China. BMC Public Health. 2007, 7: 280-10.1186/1471-2458-7-280. [28] Chan KY, Stoové MA, Sringernyuang L, Reidpath DD: Stigmatization of AIDS patients: disentangling Thai nursing students’ attitudes towards HIV/AIDS, drug use, and commercial sex. AIDS Behav. 2008, 12: 146-157. 10.1007/s10461-007-9222-y. [29] Park JC, Choi SH, Kim YT, Kim SJ, Kang HJ, Lee JH, Shin SC, Cha YJ: Knowledge and attitudes of Korean dentists towards human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome. J Periodontal Implant Sci. 2011, 41: 3-9. 10.5051/jpis.2011.41.1.3. [30] Chemtob D, Damelin B, Bessudo-Manor N, Hassman R, Amikam Y, Zenilman JM, Tamir D: ‘Getting AIDS: not in my back yard’. Results from a national knowledge, attitudes and practices survey. Isr Med Assoc J. 2006, 8: 610-614. [31] Najem GR, Okuzu EI: International comparison of medical students’ perceptions of HIV infection and AIDS. J Natl Med Assoc. 1998, 90: 765-774. [32] Ahmed SI, Hassali MA, Bukhari NI, Sulaiman SA: A comparison of HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes and risk perceptions between final year medical and pharmacy students: a cross sectional study. HealthMED. 2011, 5: 317-325. [33] Amalraj E, Chandrasekaran N, Solomon S, Sumbandam R: First-year medical students’ AIDS knowledge and attitude. Indian J Community Med. 1995, 20: 36-40. [34] Kopacz DR, Grossman LS, Klamen DL: Medical students and AIDS: knowledge, attitudes and implications for education. Health Educ Res. 1999, 14: 1-6. 10.1093/her/14.1.1. [35] vans JK, Bingham JS, Pratt K, Carne CA: Attitudes of medical students to HIV and AIDS. Genitourin Med. 1993, 69: 377-380. [36] Mohsin S, Nayak S, Mandaviya V: Medical students’ knowledge and attitudes related to HIV/AIDS. Natl J Community Med. 2010, 1: 146-149. 10.1038/ncomms1145. [37] Tokars JI, Marcus R, Culver DH, Schable CA, McKibben PS, Bandea CI, Bell DM: Surveillance of HIV infection and zidovudine use among health-care workers after occupational exposure to HIV-infected blood. Ann Intern Med. 1993, 118: 913-919. 10.7326/0003-4819-118-12-199306150-00001. [38] Panlilio AL, Cardo DM, Grohskopf LA, Heneine W, Ross CS: Updated U.S. Public Health Service guidelines for the management of occupational exposures to HIV and recommendations for postexposure prophylaxis. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2005, 54: 1-17. [39] Chew BH, Cheong AT: Assessing HIV/AIDS knowledge and stigmatizing attitudes among medical students in Universiti Putra Malaysia. Med J Malaysia Feb. 2013, 68: 24-29. [40] Wissen KA, Siebers RW: Nurses’ attitudes and concerns pertaining to HIV and AIDS. J Adv Nurs. 1993, 18: 912-917. 10.1046/j.1365-2648.1993.18060912.x. [41] Lawrence VA, Gafni A, Kroenke K: Presentation preoperative HIV testing: is it less expensive than universal precautions?. J Clin Epidemiol. 1993, 46: 1219-1227. 10.1016/0895-4356(93)90084-E. [42] Platten, M., Pham, H. N. & Nguyen, H. V. Knowledge of HIV and factors associated with attitudes towards HIV among final-year medical students at Hanoi medical university in Vietnam. BMC Public Health 14, 265 (2014). https: //doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-265 [43] Li L, Lin C, Wu Z, Wu S, Rotheram-Borus MJ, Detels R, Jia M: Stigmatization and shame: consequences of caring for HIV/AIDS patients in China. AIDS Care. 2007, 19 (2): 258-63. 10.1080/09540120600828473. [44] Pham HN, Protsiv M, Larsson M, Ho HT, de Vries DH, Thorson A: Stigma, an important source of dissatisfaction of health workers in HIV response in Vietnam: a qualitative study. BMC Health Serv Res. 2012, 12: 474-10.1186/1472-6963-12-474. [45] National Committee for AIDS, Drug, and Prostitution prevention and control: National strategy HIV/AIDS prevention and control 2010–2020 (Fifth draft). 2011, Hanoi. [46] https://mmc.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Confidentiality-guidelines.pdf