5% of LA Dentist Refuse to Treat HIV Patients
A study has revealed that 1 in 20 dentists in Los Angeles refuse to treat patients with HIV or AIDS.
The study, which was conducted by the Williams Institute at the University of Los Angeles, California, showed that 5% of those polled refused to provide treatment for patients living with HIV. The survey involved 612 dental offices in Los Angeles County.
The most frequent reason given by dentists who refused to treat patients with HIV was that the surgery was not fully equipped to deal with the virus. Overall, 90 % said that they welcomed HIV positive patients, while 5% said they needed to make special provisions for patients.
The study authors said that the figures were comparatively high compared to other health industries. According to the report, 25%of plastic surgeons, 46% of specialist nursing facilities and 55% of obstetricians, had measures in place that discriminated against patients with HIV and AIDS.
The report also revealed that discrimination was more common in areas where the number of cases of HIV was high, which mostly related to poorer communities and areas where there were a large number of ethnic minorities.
Study co-author, Brad Sears, said that legislation and education in dental schools had helped to reduce discrimination.
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