DENTAL VISITING BEHAVIOR AND EXPERIENCES OF MEN WITH HIV

To ascertain the dental visiting behaviour and experiences of men with HIV infection but without AIDS, a self-complete questionnaire was administered to convenience samples of men attending two genito-urinary medicine clinics. A total of 146 men completed questionnaires between December 1991 and June 1992. Of these, 85% had been regular or occasional attenders before diagnosis, 16% had not been to a dentist since diagnosis and 51% had changed their dentist. Although 63% had been to a general dental practitioner (GDP) at least once since diagnosis, half of them had withheld their HIV status at some time to obtain treatment. Of the 33% who had told their GDP of the diagnosis, half had been refused or offered limited treatment. The most common reasons for changing dentist, not visiting or withholding HIV status were concerns about the attitudes of the dental team and about confidentiality. Although regular oral examinations are of special importance to people with HIV their access to dental care is limited by their perceptions of dentists and the reported behaviour of dentists.