Predictors of dental students' belief in the right to refuse treatment to HIV-positive patients.

We examined predictors of dental student's belief that they should be allowed to refuse treatment to HIV-infected persons. We surveyed 181 first; second-, and fourth-year dental students at a large urban university using a 44-item, self-administered anonymous questionnaire and a measure of dispositional optimism. Several composite measures were created and their relationship to belief in the right to refuse treatment was assessed. Regression techniques were used to describe the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Results indicated that non-professional attitudes, low optimism scores, low levels of comfort with homosexuality, and gender were the best predictors of belief in the right to refuse treatment to HIV-infected patients. Neither knowledge of HIV, year in dental school, or fear of contagion reliably predicted belief in the right to refuse treatment.