The Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior of HIV/AIDS Patients' Family toward Their Patients before and after Counseling

Background: Acquired immunodeficiency may impose considerable consequences on patients' family behaviors toward them. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether a counseling program at Behavioral Counseling Center in the city of Shiraz, Iran could change the attitude, knowledge and behavior of patients' family members. Methods: 125 HIV/AIDS patients' family members were interviewed, using a valid and reliable questionnaire before and after performing counseling sessions at Behavioral Counseling Center. The findings were analyzed using nonparametric tests. Results: The age of the participants was 40 +/- 13 years. Sixty five percent were female, 63% married and 79% educated. Forty four percent of participants had spousal relationships with their patients. Their knowledge about the main routes of HIV transmission were 9.76 +/- 2.59 and 10.64 +/- 0.88 before and after counseling, respectively (P=0.028). Supportive behaviors of families toward their patients reached to 79% after counseling compared with 44% before that (P=0.004). Belief to isolate the patients and the practice of this approach at home dropped from 71% to 15% and from 29% to 7% after counseling, respectively (P<0.05). In 30% of participants fear of getting HIV from patients was not changed by counseling, and 24% of patients' spouses did report to avoid protected sex with their HIV infected husbands even after taking part in the counseling program (P>0.05). Conclusion: Ongoing counseling for HIV/AIDS patients' families at Behavioral Counseling Center of Shiraz did advance their knowledge about AIDS and improved their attitude and behavior toward their patients However, the counseling program did not show remarkable success in some aspects such as the removal of fear about HIV spread in the family or the change of the patients' wives attitude to have protected sex with their HIV infected husbands.