Knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers on the provision of HIV post exposure prophylaxis following sexual exposure among healthcare workers in STD clinics, Sri Lanka

Introduction: Despite significant advancements in the prevention and treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), it remains a complex health and social challenge. Post-exposure prophylaxis following sexual exposure (PEPSE) is a vital biomedical intervention that reduces new HIV infections resulting from unprotected sex.
Objectives: The study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers to the provision of PEPSE for HIV among healthcare workers in STD clinics, Sri Lanka and identify factors associated with them.
Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out among 148 health care workers attached to STD clinics in Sri Lanka who were recruited by a stratified random sampling technique. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires. SPSS version 22 was used for descriptive analysis of data and to identify associations, utilizing the chi-square test. The level of significance was considered at p<0.05.
Results: While 85% of healthcare workers showed good knowledge of HIV, only 64% had good knowledge of PEPSE. Approximately 62% had favorable attitudes toward PEPSE, but 59% anticipated barriers to its provision. There was no significant association between knowledge of PEPSE and attitudes towards it. However, individuals with favorable attitudes were significantly more likely to prescribe PEPSE (p=.001). The willingness to provide PEPSE was not significantly linked to either overall knowledge or perceived barriers.
Conclusion: This study validates the effectiveness of current HIV awareness programms, while highlighting the necessity for enhanced PEPSE awareness initiatives. Future interventions should prioritize improving healthcare workers' attitudes towards PEPSE, necessitating further research into factors contributing to negative attitudes.