Grants Specialist University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine
Participants should be aware of the following financial/non-financial relationships: . Caitlyn Wayment, MPH: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.. Tamara Tobey, DDS, MA: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Abstract: Background. Provider knowledge and attitudes pertaining to providing care to vulnerable populations impacts the oral care of patient living with HIV (PLWH), but oral health providers often have inadequate knowledge or stigmatized attitudes towards PLWH. Objective. Assess the impact of dental students participating in a lecture on medical management, oral health for persons living with HIV, and HIV prevention. Methods. During the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years, third year dental students at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine participated in a lecture presented by a provider at the Colorado and Mountain-West AIDS Education and Training Centers. Students completed pre- and post-intervention surveys which examined their HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and stigma, and educational experience. Results. Our results of the pre-intervention survey included 113 respondents between the ages of 23-45 with an average knowledge score of 8.93 points out of 12. The post-intervention survey included 92 respondents between the ages of 24-45 reporting an average knowledge score of 9.05 points out of 12. A paired-samples t-test was conducted to compare knowledge scores in the pre- and post-educational seminar. There was a significant difference in the scores for pre-intervention (M=8.25, SD =1.42) and post-intervention (M=8.88, SD=1.46) conditions; t=2.50, p=0.014. Preliminary analyses indicate students became less concerned about contracting HIV from patients and more confident in their knowledge regarding treating PLWH. Conclusions. The addition of an educational session on treating PLWH not only increases knowledge about treating PLWH, but also has the potential to reduce stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs surrounding PLWH.
Source of Funding: This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, Part F: Community-Based Dental Partnership Program (CBDPP)
