Survey of HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes of Kuwaiti family physicians

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore Kuwaiti family physicians' attitudes and knowledge about HIV/AIDS. METHODS: One hundred and sixty-two Kuwaiti family physicians (95 females and 67 males) from all four health catchment areas have completed a 30-item self-administered questionnaire to measure HIV/AIDS-related attitudes and knowledge. RESULTS: Knowledge was lacking in areas dealing with HIV-related neuropsychiatric complications and other issues concerning HIV/AIDS, special populations and range of normal sexuality. The majority of physicians expressed negative attitudes toward homosexuality and about AIDS patients in general. Eighty-three per cent of Kuwaiti family physicians would opt out of treating AIDS patients. More than half of the physicians would avoid coming into social contact with HIV-seropositive persons. No significant difference was found for the total knowledge and attitude scores for gender. CONCLUSION: The results of this survey revealed that even in the second decade of the AIDS epidemic, some Kuwaiti family physicians continue to have a lack of proper knowledge about HIV and harbour negative attitudes toward AIDS patients. There is a need to promote an AIDS education early in the medical internship training years which addresses many underlying socio-cultural factors.