Department of Occupational & Aviation Medicine, University of Otago, Wellington South, New Zealand.
Cult Health Sex. 2012;14(4):379-91. doi: 10.1080/13691058.2011.646304. Epub 2012 Jan 3.
Worldwide, approximately three million needlestick or sharps injuries occur annually during healthcare procedures, with an estimated 18-35 healthcare professionals (HCPs) acquiring HIV each year as a result. This qualitative study examined the lived experience of occupational exposure to HIV or hepatitis C reported by four HCPs working in a tertiary care hospital in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Findings were based on interviews conducted as part of a larger two-year study investigating an intervention to improve the reporting and management of blood and body fluid exposures (BBFE) in the hospital. The data showed that due to cultural differences, individuals exposed to the same disease within the same legal system could have different concerns. Five themes arose from the data: (1) experiencing the unexpected, (2) inevitability and finality, (3) impact of stigma, (4) responsibility and risk and (5) legal and financial implications. The participants' most important concerns and causes of stress arising from occupational BBFE were related to the social implications (i.e., stigma; legal and financial costs) rather than the biological consequences of the disease. Social implications like these may negatively impact on reporting of occupational BBFE in UAE, but may need to be addressed at a societal rather than organisational level.
在全球范围内，每年大约有 300 万例在医疗保健过程中发生的针具或锐器伤，估计每年有 18-35 名医护人员（HCPs）因此感染艾滋病毒。本定性研究调查了在阿拉伯联合酋长国（UAE）一家三级保健医院工作的 4 名 HCPs 报告的职业接触艾滋病毒或丙型肝炎的真实经历。研究结果基于作为一项为期两年的研究的一部分进行的访谈，该研究旨在调查改善医院内血液和体液暴露（BBFE）报告和管理的干预措施。数据显示，由于文化差异，同一法律体系中接触到同一疾病的个人可能会有不同的关注点。数据中出现了五个主题：（1）经历意外，（2）必然性和终结性，（3）污名的影响，（4）责任和风险，（5）法律和财务影响。参与者对职业性 BBFE 最关注的问题和压力的主要来源与社会影响（即污名；法律和财务成本）有关，而不是与疾病的生物学后果有关。这些社会影响可能会对阿联酋职业性 BBFE 的报告产生负面影响，但可能需要在社会层面而不是组织层面上加以解决。
