Iranian Dentists’ Knowledge of Post-exposure Prophylaxis Against HBV, HCV, and HIV

Dentists are at higher risk of exposure to blood-borne pathogens including HBV (hepatitis B virus), HCV (hepatitis C virus), and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge about post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) against HBV/HCV/HIV among the general dentists working in Mashhad in 2016.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on a random sample (141 persons) of the general dentists working in Mashhad. The data gathering tool in this study was a self-administered questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire was assessed by a group of relevant specialists. The reliability of the questionnaire was also tested by a test-retest method with a two-week interval. The agreement between the two steps (test and retest) was at least 70%, and Cronbach’s alpha was 0.74. The total score of each person’s knowledge ranged from -20 to +20. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t test were used for statistical analyses.

Out of 141 dentists selected randomly, 101 subjects (69.3% male) participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 42.3 years, And the mean duration of dental practice experience was 16.3 years. Regarding the mean age (P = 0.11), and the mean duration of dental practice experience (P = 0.12), there was no statistically significant difference between the two genders. The mean score of knowledge among the participants was -2.8, and there was no statistically significant difference between the two genders in this regard (P = 0.72).

This study indicated that the level of knowledge about PEP against HBV/HCV/HIV was very low among the general dentists working in Mashhad. Therefore, improving knowledge of general dentists working in Mashhad through appropriate educational interventions seems necessary.