A survey of HIV knowledge and attitudes of pharmacy students in Canada and Qatar

Pharmacy and Pharm.D students' knowledge and information needs about COVID-19

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates collaborative teamwork by all healthcare providers including pharmacists. Since Pharmacy and Pharm. D students represent the future pharmacists, it is necessary to ensure that they have a good awareness about COVID-19 or any other pandemic that could happen in the future.

OBJECTIVE

The study aim was to evaluate Pharmacy and Pharm.D students' knowledge and information needs about COVID-19.

METHOD

A cross-sectional web-based design survey was used to assess socio-demographics and knowledge about COVID-19 amongst Pharmacy and Pharm. D students. After being validated, the questionnaire was formatted into Google forms and distributed amongst undergraduate Pharmacy and Pharm. D students in accredited Universities in Jordan.

RESULTS

A total of 860 Pharmacy and Pharm.D students completed the questionnaire. Results revealed moderate students' knowledge about COVID-19 (mean knowledge score was 5.6 out of 10). Students had high correct response rates in questions asking about transmission method, treatment, zoonotic transmission and medications to be avoided. However, the students demonstrated low knowledge in questions asking about the incubation period and degree of contagion scores. Several factors were associated with students' level of knowledge including the field of study and academic year. Few students relied on their faculty as the main source of information about the infection and most of them relied on self-reading and social network.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study clearly demonstrate unsatisfactory level of knowledge and a lot of information needs about COVID-19 amongst Pharmacy and Pharm. D students. More efforts should be deployed to educate pharmacy students about COVID-19, with an emphasis on the need for more active role by the universities to achieve this goal.

HIV/AIDS-related beliefs among Israeli Arab-Palestinian women

Studies show that women are more vulnerable to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission than men because of biological and sociocultural risk factors. Israeli Arab-Palestinians are the largest ethnic minority group in Israel. Unofficial data suggest that merely one percent of the tests conducted in Israel to diagnose HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are conducted by this population and that Israeli Arab-Palestinians are typically diagnosed late. Arab communities in Israel were found to be predominately patriarchal, characterised by conservative gender roles and structures, and the policing of overt sexual behaviours, particularly those of women. In order to advance our understanding of the HIV/AIDS phenomenon in different sociocultural contexts, as well as to design effective cultural-sensitive interventions, we must first understand how HIV/AIDS is constructed in different cultural sites. Against this backdrop, this exploratory study examines HIV/AIDS-related beliefs among non-infected, Israeli Arab-Palestinian women. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 women. Thematic content analysis was used in order to analyse the data. Five themes emerged from the analysis, in the first, personal responsibility and blame were assigned to people with HIV/AIDS for their illness. In the second theme, HIV/AIDS was constructed as a sexually transmitted disease, associated with 'deviant' sexuality and sexual conduct in the Arab culture. In the third theme, HIV/AIDS was believed to be transmitted by multiple, mostly mistaken, modes of contact. In the fourth theme, people with HIV/AIDS were believed to be subjected to severe negative social responses. In the fifth theme, individuals with HIV/AIDS were depicted as a symbol of physical and psychological malaise. In conclusion, the findings imply that Israeli Arab-Palestinian women hold negative beliefs concerning people with HIV/AIDS and are misinformed regarding HIV transmission. This suggests a need to design culturally appropriate interventions to address stigma-related beliefs and misconceptions concerning transmission, among Israeli Arab-Palestinian women.

Knowledge and Awareness about HIV and AIDS among Iraqi College Students

Background:

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are the major global public health problems since their discovery in 1983. Knowledge and awareness about the transmission of the virus play an important role toward prevention and the control of the disease. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness about HIV and AIDS among university students of two Iraqi Universities (Diyala and Al-Nahrain) by using a constructed self-administered questionnaire.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 506 students from two Iraqi Universities using a constructed self-administered questionnaire in 2010 and 2017 for Diyala University and in 2017 for Al-Nahrain University. Data obtained from the students’ responses were collected and statistically analysed. The level of knowledge and awareness was measured according to Bloom’s cut-off point.

Results:

The study comprised 506 students from the two universities, 341 were females with a mean age of 22.38±4.99 years and 165 were males with a mean age of 22.38±4.99 years. Data revealed that participants, regardless of their gender, on specific questions had different levels (high, moderate and low) of knowledge and awareness about HIV and AIDS. A high level was seen with the causative agent of AIDS and its transmission through blood transfusion, unprotected sexual contact, and sharing needle injection. However, a moderate level was observed regarding antenatal vertical transmission of HIV, shared use of a toothbrush or a razor. While there was inadequate or low knowledge and awareness about HIV spread through breast feeding, during birth, needle sharing and the availability of vaccines. The levels of knowledge and awareness among female students were significantly higher than males in most studied parameters (P=0.03-0.006). The general knowledge and awareness among Diyala’s students declined during the second survey scheduled in 2017 compared with that done in 2010 (P=0.004) for undefined reasons.

Conclusion:

The general knowledge and awareness about HIV and AIDS was fair among Iraqi students. With the increasing number of HIV cases in Iraq, the inadequacy in knowledge and awareness about spread and prevention of HIV must be considered in the public health strategy and education programs that should comply with Islamic rules and values.

Attitudes Toward Restricting the Sexual and Reproductive Rights of Women Living With HIV Infection in Yemen

A considerable amount of research has demonstrated the pervasive and destructive power of discrimination against people living with HIV, which limits their full and equal participation in society. This study surveyed 613 young adults from Yemen about their attitudes toward the sexual and reproductive rights of women living with HIV (WLWH). Among survey respondents, 80% believed that WLWH should be sterilized and not allowed to get married. Furthermore, 62% thought that WLWH should be forced to have abortions if they became pregnant. Men were more likely than women to impose restrictions on the sexual and reproductive rights of WLWH. HIV stigma predicted respondent attitudes toward WLWH, but religiosity and knowledge about HIV did not. The results of the study have implications for developing programs to protect and promote the rights of WLWH in Yemen.