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Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News Archive - August 2019
Positive Living BC’s Community Dental Clinic makes dental care accessible
August 1, 2019 - Walking into a dentist’s office can sometimes be intimidating. For individuals living with HIV, there is the added consideration of how a health care provider might react to their diagnosis. Will they have an understanding of HIV or will false preconceptions make the experience uncomfortable?
Through both his personal and professional experiences, Dr. Nick Aytoglu understands the subtle and overt forms of discrimination individuals with HIV may encounter in health care settings. During his training, he saw some dentists double up on gloves for a patient with HIV. “It’s one thing to learn about [HIV], it’s another thing to have that empathy for it and to know what to say, how to react, understand what’s going on,” said Dr. Aytoglu.
Dr. Aytoglu serves as Clinic Manager at the Positive Living Community Dental Clinic, opened in February 2018 to ensure people living with HIV could access dental care in an inviting setting. Most importantly, the clinic people living with HIV with access to affordable dental care. Through a combination of donations and offsetting costs with paying patients, fees can be covered for those without available funds or health coverage.
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