Non-occupational HIV exposure and post exposure prophylaxis : knowledge and practice among police and prison service personnel in Blantyre, Malawi

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A cross sectional descriptive study aimed at determining the knowledge and practices of non-occupational exposure and Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) of HIV among police and prison service personnel in Blantyre, Malawi was conducted as part of prevention and management of HIV/AIDS in the workplace.Police and prison service personnel at four police stations of Ndirande, Blantyre, Chilobwe and Limbe in Blantyre and the Chichiri maximum prison respectively and later on Thyolo, Bvumbwe, Bangwe, Chileka were added and surveyed. In total 150 personnel were surveyed using quantitative and qualitative methods. The sampling method was convenient and purposive. A structured questionnaire was self-administered by all participants. Interviews and focus group discussions were also conducted. A total of five interviews targeting HIV/AIDS officers as key informants were conducted; these are officers responsible for HIV/AIDS issues in police stations and prison respectively. On the other hand, four focus group discussions were held targeting middle to low ranking personnel. This segregation of respondents based on choice of qualitative data collection methods was done because mixing low and high ranking police and prison personnel in a focus group discussion would not have created homogeneous, dynamic groups which would have adequately explored issues under investigation.The main findings were that percutaneus and mucotaneus exposures seldom happen among the Police and Prison personnel. Most exposures that happen are not serious to warrant PEP, however the knowledge of HIV exposure and PEP is very low among both groups.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University