Abstract
Background and Objectives: HIV/ AIDS is a worldwide problem which affects 95 percent of the population in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to examine HIV-risk behaviors and knowledge of psychiatric patients, regarding AIDS in the teaching hospitals of Tehran.
Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire administrated to 230 psychiatric patients. Quota sampling was used in order to ensure a certain distribution of demographic variable.
Results: The study revealed that 33.9 and 9.1 percent of patients were drug-users and injecting drug-users respectively, in the past 10 years. 76.2 percent of injecting drug users had needle-sharing partners. 19.6 percent of patients had been sexually abused in the past. 27.8 percent had had sex with multiple partners and 16.1 percent were homosexual. 26.5 percent of patients had had sexual contact with injecting drug users. 37.9 percent of sexually active patients had had sex after or whilst using drugs and alcohol. 6 percent of patients reported to have had a test for HIV (seronegative) and 30.8 percent worried about a possible HIV infection. There are significant links between gender (p<0.001), occupational status (p<0.004) and living situation (p<0.05) and drug and alcohol users. Males, workers and those living institutions had a higher rate of drug and alcohol abuse. There is significance between gender (p<0.001) and the number of hospitalization (p<0.007), and injecting drug users. Males and patients who had more than six admissions to hospital were more likely to be injecting drug users. Regarding the gender, females reported a higher rate of sexual abuse (p<0.001). Multiple partners with occupational status (p<0.05) and civil status (p<0.02) and living situation (p<0.04) with homosexual intercourse showed significant association, so that employees reported higher rate of multiple partners. Widows and people who have lived in institutions had a higher rate of homosexual contact. 21.7 percent of patients had a very low level of knowledge about aids: 28.7 percent of patients had a low level knowledge and 18.3 percent of patients had a good knowledge. With respect to the basic facts of HIV, 13.5 percent of patients had a good knowledge and 53.1 percent had either a very low or a low level of knowledge. Regarding the routes of transmission, 33.1 percent of patients had either a very low or a low level of knowledge, and 24.8 percent had a good knowledge. With respect to the methods of prevention, 48.3 percent of the patients had either a very low or a low level of knowledge, and only 9.6 percent of patients had a good knowledge. The total knowledge score was significantly associated with age (p<0.03), level of education (p<0.001), occupational status (p<0.04), living situation (p<0.04) duration of illness (p<0.001) and number of those hospitalized (p<0.001). So that older patients, patients with basic education, housewives, people who have lived in institutions, patients who have been ill for longer than eight years and people with more than six psychiatric admissions had a lower score on the AIDS-knowledge test.
Conclusion: This study concluded that sexual history, HIV education and risk-reduction counselling are essential components of the care of adults with mental disorders.