Are Nigerian medical students adequately prepared to be effective in HIV/AIDS prevention?
OBJECTIVES: Epidemiological data indicate that over .5 million Nigerians are infected with HIV. Public awareness is low, even among health care workers generally and physicians in particular, where recent research revealed important gaps in their risk assessment and counselling skills. This study was designed to ascertain the extent to which current medical students, whose medical education commenced after the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic are adequately prepared for their future role in HIV/AIDS primary prevention. METHODS: Anonymous questionnaires were distributed to all fourth and fifth year medical students at the College of Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria, yielding a sample of 477. Questions focused on: physicians role in HIV/AIDS prevention, students knowledge (HIV/AIDS) epidemiology, transmission, occupational risk), fear of contagion and resistance to working with AIDS patients and ethical issues associated with AIDS, skills in sexual history taking, HIV
