Medical students, as future health-care providers (HCPs) play a significant role in shaping attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and should possess adequate knowledge of this infection. The study aim was to assess knowledge about HIV among medical students of the University of Zagreb School of Medicine, and to determine the level of discriminatory attitudes towards PLWHA. We assessed knowledge about epidemiology, treatment, and prevention of HIV by using closed-ended and multiple-choice questions. Likert-scale questions were employed to determine attitudes towards PLWHA. Bivariate and multivariate ordinal logistic regression was used to assess correlates of certain discriminatory attitudes. 561 medical students participated, with 46.7% attending preclinical courses. Overall, 42.1% of students think they received sufficient information on HIV/AIDS during elementary and high school education. Among clinical students, 42.6%, 20.8% and 11.8% estimated accurately transmission risk after a needle injury, unprotected vaginal, and anal intercourse, respectively. 66.8% of clinical students were aware that treatment can prevent AIDS, while 58.7% and 69.8% were familiar with the rationale of using pre-exposure (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). In the multivariate analysis, individuals lacking infectology course attendance (aOR = 1.45; CI: 1.00–2.09) and those unaware of transmission routes (aOR = 1.49; CI: 1.06–2.09) showed higher odds of advocating HIV status disclosure compared to those who did not yet attend an infectology course. Students supporting extra protection for handling PLWHA bodily fluids were more likely to support refusal to treat PLWHA (aOR = 1.80; CI: 1.22–2.69) compared to those who did not support that opinion. Males were more inclined to state that they would refuse to treat PLWHA (aOR = 1.66; CI: 1.11–2.50) and disclose their HIV status (aOR = 1.62; CI: 1.17–2.27) than females. Overestimating needle injury transmission risk raised treatment refusal likelihood (aOR = 2.22; CI = 1.29–3.92) compared to those accurately informed of this risk. Results indicate lack of knowledge of HIV transmission risks after specific exposures and about PrEP, PEP and treatment effectiveness. Gender and knowledge about HIV transmission risks influence students’ attitudes towards PLWHA. Medical education should be focused on fostering correct attitudes and addressing stigma, which undermines prevention and treatment outcomes of PLWHA.

Viral hepatitis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In Croatia, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are widely distributed, especially in some high-risk groups such as people who inject drugs (PWID), prisoners, and highly promiscuous groups. The seroprevalence of HBV ranges from 7.0% in the general population to 38.8% in PWID, depending on the region. The seroprevalence of HCV is highest among PWID (29–75.5%) as compared to 0.9% in the general population. Analyzing the distribution of HCV genotypes, no substantial changes in the molecular epidemiology of the two most frequent HCV genotypes (1 and 3) in the past 20 years were observed. However, the predominance of subtype 1b compared to subtype 1a as detected in 1996–2005 was not confirmed in 2008–2015. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) incidence was high in the past with a decreasing trend since the 2000s, except for an outbreak in 2017–2018 as part of the large European outbreak, which was mainly among men who have sex with men. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging virus detected for the first time in Croatia in 2012. The seroprevalence of HEV is high among hemodialysis patients (27.9%) and liver transplant recipients (19.3–24.4%). In addition, higher seroprevalence rates were observed in animal-related professions (e.g., veterinarians, 15.2%; hunters, 14.9%). All detected HEV strains belonged to genotype 3.

Background: Gaucher’s disease (GD), a rare lysosomal storage disorder, primarily affects haematopoietic tissue. Emerging evidence suggests that GD also has an impact on gynaecological well-being, with documented pregnancy-related complications. However, substantial evidence is still lacking, indicating the need for better surveillance of GD-associated gynaecological complications. Objectives: To assess the frequency of gynaecological ailments, pregnancies and pregnancy-related complications and outcomes in women diagnosed with GD in Central and Southeastern Europe. Design: An online questionnaire was developed to gather data on gynaecological and reproductive health among female patients aged 18 years or older from five countries (Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Northern Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina). The questionnaire was translated to native language of participating countries and distributed by the Croatian Gaucher Association. The study was conducted from December 2021 to March 2022. Methods: The variables assessed were treatment type, age at diagnosis, reproductive history, frequency of haematological disorders, infertility issues and pregnancy outcomes, as well as comparison of these variables between treated and untreated patients. Descriptive statistics were employed to calculate proportions, and mean values were computed for continuous variables. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare categorical variables. Results: The study involved 26 participants. At the time of the study, four of the participants were undergoing substrate reduction therapy (SRT), and the remainder were receiving enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). Patients who received treatment during pregnancy reported a higher frequency of pregnancy-associated bleeding (71.3% vs 22.2%, p = 0.030). In total, there were 25 pregnancies and 20 births reported, while 11 (42.3%) respondents did not have children. All women conceived naturally, yet three reported difficulties with conception. Women who reported bleeding during pregnancy were more likely to experience issues with conception ( p = 0.036) and bleeding during childbirth ( p = 0.018). However, no significant difference was observed in relation to bleeding prior to pregnancy ( p = 0.529). Conclusion: GD does not hinder pregnancy or motherhood, nor does it affect fertility, although it does require proper medical oversight and care. ERT alone may not be sufficient to prevent bleeding events, and detailed studies concerning coagulation might be necessary in pregnant women with GD.