Opinions and attitudes of students before completion of medical studies toward men who have sex with men (MSMs) and injection drug users (IDUs) living with HIV/AIDS

In 2000 National AIDS Centre organised studies about knowledge, attitudes and opinions of students at Polish medical universities related to HIV and AIDS. Among other results they showed that more than 60% of respondents revealed fear of AIDS, almost 60% of students agreed with the statement that HIV/AIDS is a disease of injection drug users (IDUs) and men who have sex with men (MSMs). Between 2004 and 2006 the same questionnaire was applied to students of the 6th year of the medical studies at the Medical University of Bialystok, who should have already obtained information on HIV/AIDS in their education programme. The study's objective was to check whether the attitude of future doctors to HIV/AIDS, MSMs and IDUs has changed. More than a half -123 (52.8%) of students before completion of medical studies feel that there is a risk of getting infected with HIV while performing their professional duties and as many as 34.9% of the respondents admit that they fear AIDS. The study revealed homophobic attitudes as well as resentment against addicts. The obtained results show that in the process of educating future doctors more attention should be paid to the issues of human sexuality, as well as addictions. This may lead to reduction of discrimination experienced or felt frequently by HIV-positive patients. This is especially important as the life-span of HIV-positive persons is getting much longer.