CASES OF STIGMATIZATION AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HIV AND HCV PATIENTS BY MEDICAL PERSONNEL – COMPARATIVE SURVEYS

Abstract

Introduction: Research results indicate that in Poland stigmatization and discrimination against HIV patients is occurring on the part of medical personnel. This phenomenon is characterized by a poorer treatment of patients due to infection, impediments to access to health services or refusing to provide medical care. the aim: The aim of the work was to analyze attitudes and the communication process between the patient and medical staff both before receiving health services as well as during the process of providing these services in order to investigate the causes and nature of the phenomenon of stigmatization and discrimination against patients with HIV and HCV by representatives of various medical professions. Material and methods: The study was conducted among patients with diagnosed HIV – the primary group and among patients with HCV – the control group. A total of 160 patients with HIV and HCV were investigated at the two outpatient clinics of the University Hospital in Krakow. The research used the author’s questionnaires of a comparative nature. results: Doctors, dentists, dental technicians, nurses and midwives are among the group of medical workers, who stigmatize and discriminate against patients diagnosed with HIV, which is manifested by the impediments or refusal to grant health services after the patient has provided information about the virus. The refusal to grant services to patients was often accompanied by the inducing guilt in patients due to having infection. Some patients withdrew themselves from health services despite the occurrence of medical need due to earlier ill-treatment by medical personnel. Patients, among the reasons for refusal, pointed to the personnel’s excuses for too long queues of patients, lack of appropriate qualifications or appropriate technical capabilities. Similar attitudes, though much less frequently and to a lesser extent, were noted in patients with HCV, constituting a control group in this study. This type of attitude, manifested by stigmatization and discrimination against patients, was not observed among paramedics, who are the group of medical professionals particularly often exposed to contact with potentially infectious material and therefore to an increased risk of infection. Conclusions: The cases of stigmatization and discrimination against patients with diagnosed HIV and HCV by medical personnel occur solely due to the patients’ infection with the virus. Cases of refusal are accompanied by anxiety and a sense of threat of infection, which may be related to the state of knowledge of the prevention of viral infections. Resignation of patients from medical care despite the need for health due to previous negative experiences in such situations, impediments in granting medical care or refusal to provide health services may have negative health consequences for these patients, and in the longer term, generate higher costs for the health care system due to the abandonment of earlier pro-health activities.