32% of dentists would not treat AIDS patients: survey

Asian Economic News, Dec 13, 2004

TOKYO, Dec. 3 Kyodo

About 32 percent of dentists in Japan would not treat AIDS patients, a survey conducted by the health ministry indicated Friday.

About 26 percent said they would reject HIV carriers, but less than 1 percent would decline to see hepatitis B or C carriers, according to the research group under the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

The survey results show that dentists need to be educated more about AIDS because the HIV virus that causes AIDS is not liable to be transmitted during normal dental procedures if dentists take preventive measures, said Marii Goto, director of a nonprofit organization Japan HIV Center who led the group.

It sent questionnaires to 500 dentists between January and March, of whom 253 responded.

About 40 percent of the respondents said they may introduce AIDS patients to other medical institutions, while for HIV carriers the corresponding figure was 43 percent.

Dentists who would accept AIDS patients and HIV carriers with extra care accounted for less than 30 percent. Less than 4 percent said they would treat AIDS patients and HIV carriers in the same manner as they would normal people.

The main reason for rejecting treatment is the belief that it would be difficult to clean their hands and medical devices. Other reasons included lack of training for their staff and concern over the effect on other patients.

Although the number of dentists who would decline treatment has more or less halved from a survey conducted in 1992, only a few dentists have actually treated AIDS patients or HIV carriers.

The ministry research team said, ''In reality, they (AIDS patients or HIV carriers) are rarely accepted for dental treatment.''