ATTITUDES OF PRIMARY HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS TOWARDS EARLY DETECTED PATIENTS WITH HIV/AIDS IN NATIONAL GUARD PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTERS, JEDDAH CITY, SAUDI ARABIA, 2019: A CROSS - SECTIONAL STUDY

Background:Patients with HIV/AIDS require ongoing health care services as they are potentially at increased risk of developing disorders, including cardiovascular and liver disease, accelerated bone loss, metabolic disorders. Despite strong evidence that had revealed there is no risk of HIV transmission if there is nonsexual contact with HIV patients, HIV patients used to be discriminated by the public and healthcare providers who fear to get the infection. Objective of the study:To assess the attitudes of Primary healthcare providers towards early detected patients with HIV/AIDS in National Guard Primary Health Care Centers, Jeddah City. Subjects and Methods:Through a cross-sectional design, the study had recruited 87 of healthcare providers who were actively practicing and working at National Guard Primary Health Care Centers, Jeddah City and fulfill the inclusion and exclusion criteria during the period from June 2019 until October 2019. Data collection carried out by questionnaire designed and revised by an expert panel of health professionals. An appropriate statistical test, such as the Chi-square test, was used to record the statistical significance between participants' answers and their demographic characteristics. Results: According to the study design, 87 participants were included in the study; their mean age was 39 years that ranged between 22-58 years. 72 % of health care providers were physicians and the majority of all participants expressed their good attitudes towards patients with HIV with some poor attitude towards the fear of contagious (41%), working with HIV patients (36%) and readiness to care (32%). There are statistically significant (P-value <0.05) between participants? attitudes towards patients with HIV with level of education, years of experience, had training courses in caring and dealing with patients of HIV and job title of health care workers Conclusion: These findings highlight a need for programs that promote the occupational safety of healthcare providers and the value of involving them in more advanced training courses in caring and dealing with patients of HIV.