TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hospital staff in Taiwan remain largely willing to care for patients with AIDS, the Taiwan AIDS Society and Taiwan AIDS Nurses Association said Monday.

AIDS is the most advanced stage of human immunodeficiency virus infection, which weakens the immune system. The virus spreads through body fluids and blood, so normal daily contact does not transmit HIV, according to the US National Institutes of Health and the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control.

The associations' survey found 94.9% of hospital personnel are willing to provide care for people living with AIDS. About 40% said extra protective measures are needed, according to CNA.

The survey collected 4,901 valid responses from 26 hospitals. Willingness to care for patients regardless of viral load dropped from 84% last year to 52.6% this year.

Meanwhile, 42.3% said they would care for patients only if the viral load was undetectable. Staff unwilling to provide care rose slightly to 5.1%.

On protective measures, 57.6% said standard procedures are sufficient, down from 81% last year. Some staff reported extra precautions: 17% scheduled AIDS patients last, 9.4% disinfected rooms after visits, and 16% wore additional masks or gloves.

Researchers said the change may be linked to a higher proportion of administrative staff in the survey, rising from 24.4% to 31.4%. These staff members are less involved in direct patient care.

Lu Po-liang (盧柏樑), chair of the Taiwan AIDS Society, said the real threat is not the virus itself but fear and misunderstanding. No healthcare workers in Taiwan have reported occupational HIV infections since 2013.

The survey report was released on World AIDS Day. The Taiwan AIDS Society and Taiwan AIDS Nurses Association plan to use the findings for staff training and public education, aiming to improve knowledge and reduce barriers to testing.