Using Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS) to Identify the Healthcare Needs among Women of Reproductive Age Who Migrated from Venezuela to Brazil, 2018-2021.

In 2021, an RDS survey was conducted among Venezuelan migrant women of reproductive age who migrated to two Brazilian cities (Manaus and Boa Vista) from 2018 to 2021. To start the RDS recruitment, we chose seeds non-randomly in both cities. The study variables were age, educational level, self-rated health, pregnancy, migratory status and use of health services. We estimated the prevalence, confidence intervals and homophily effects by variable category. We used a multivariate logistic regression model to identify the main factors associated with healthcare use. A total of 761 women were recruited in Manaus and 1268 in Boa Vista. Manaus showed more irregular migrants than Boa Vista. The main reasons for using health services were as follows: illness, disease prevention and prenatal care. The logistic regression model showed the use of health services was associated with educational level and healthcare needs but not with migratory status. The social inclusion of Venezuelan migrants is extremely relevant, although many challenges must be overcome. The strategy of the Brazilian Federal Government for providing humanitarian assistance to Venezuelan migrants should be expanded to include and facilitate their integration into labor markets, access to healthcare and education, benefiting both migrants and the Brazilian people by reducing social inequality.

Pre-exposure and postexposure prophylaxes and the combination HIV prevention methods (The Combine! Study): protocol for a pragmatic clinical trial at public healthcare clinics in Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: Few results from programmes based on combination prevention methods are available. We propose to analyse the degree of protection provided by postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) for consensual sexual activity at healthcare clinics, its compensatory effects on sexual behaviour; and the effectiveness of combination prevention methods and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), compared with exclusively using traditional methods. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A total of 3200 individuals aged 16 years or older presenting for PEP at 5 sexually transmitted disease (STD)/HIV clinics in 3 regions of Brazil will be allocated to one of two groups: the PEP group-individuals who come to the clinic within 72 h after a sexual exposure and start PEP; and the non-PEP group-individuals who come after 72 h but within 30 days of exposure and do not start PEP. Clinical follow-up will be conducted initially for 6 months and comprise educational interventions based on information and counselling for using prevention methods, including PrEP. In the second study phase, individuals who remain HIV negative will be regrouped according to the reported use of prevention methods and observed for 18 months: only traditional methods; combined methods; and PrEP. Effectiveness will be analysed according to the incidence of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B and C and protected sexual behaviour. A structured questionnaire will be administered to participants at baseline and every 6 months thereafter. Qualitative methods will be employed to provide a comprehensive understanding of PEP-seeking behaviour, preventive choices and exposure to HIV. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study will be conducted in accordance with the resolution of the School of Medicine Research Ethics Commission of Universidade de São Paulo (protocol no. 251/14). The databases will be available for specific studies, after management committee approval. Findings will be presented to researchers, health managers and civil society members by means of newspapers, electronic media and scientific journals and meetings.

Spatial distribution of the human development index, HIV infection and AIDS-Tuberculosis comorbidity: Brazil, 1982-2007.

INTRODUCTION: AIDS epidemic has given visibility to the incidence of tuberculosis, for being the most frequent opportunistic infection. It is known that individuals who are socially vulnerable are more susceptible to HIV transmission and tuberculosis as well. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to conduct a geoepidemiological study on HIV/AIDS, AIDS-Tuberculosis co-infection and social vulnerability. METHOD: This is an ecological study using incidence rates and the human development index to produce thematic maps and a descriptive analysis of epidemiology. The records of reported cases of HIV/AIDS from 1982 to 2007 were used, considering as cases of AIDS-Tuberculosis those records that were positively diagnosed with tuberculosis and those records with unknown diagnosis of tuberculosis, but showing compatible signs and symptoms with tuberculosis (fever, cough, cachexia and asthenia). RESULTS: The maps allowed the identification of areas with social differences and different patterns of incidence of HIV/AIDS and AIDS-Tuberculosis; regional differences were similar to those found by Josué de Castro, in 1940; regions with higher human development index values also showed higher incidence HIV/AIDS and AIDS-Tuberculosis. CONCLUSION: The prevention of HIV infection must be geographically specific, given socioeconomic and cultural differences. Although official records show decline in AIDS-TB co-infection, treatment of cases of HIV/AIDS should observe the occurrence of opportunistic diseases, which should be notified and/or updated.

[AIDS along Brazil's borders, 1990-2003]. / A AIDS nas regiões de fronteira no Brasil de 1990 a 2003.

OBJECTIVE: To study the AIDS epidemic in Brazil's border areas, from the spatial and temporal perspective. METHODS: This was an ecological study in which the cases of AIDS reported to the Ministry of Health of Brazil from 1990-2003 were grouped according to "hunger areas" as defined by Josué de Castro in the 1940s and according to 19 cultural subregions. Spatial assessment was based on incidence rates for border municipalities; temporal assessment considered the absolute number of cases occurring quarterly from 1990-2003 in each of the hunger areas studied (Extreme South, Midwest, and Amazon). RESULTS: During the study period, 7,973 cases of AIDS were reported from the Brazilian border areas: 648 in the Amazon area, 1,579 in the Midwest, and 5,746 in the Extreme South (populations of 668,098, 895,489, and 2,769,361, respectively). The subregions with the highest AIDS incidence rates in each of the three border areas were those near triple-borders, between more than two Latin American countries. Sexual transmission was predominant, with heterosexual transmission being the most frequent, followed by transmission by male homosexuality. These two categories accounted for 87.2% of the cases reported. The estimates of the trend parameter in the temporal analysis were 0.53 (P < 0.0001), 0.83 (P < 0.0001), and 3.47 (P < 0.0001), respectively, for the Amazon, Midwest, and Extreme South areas. CONCLUSION: The improvement of health care services along Brazil's borders may be a strategy for territorial integration and for dealing with the AIDS epidemic, as long as social, economic, and cultural differences are taken into account.

[Cofactors of antiretroviral treatment interruption in cases of adults with AIDS: Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, 1999-2002]. / Fatores associados à interrupção de tratamento anti-retroviral em adultos com AIDS: Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil, 1999 - 2002.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to determine factors associated to the interruption of antiretroviral treatment in adults with AIDS in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. METHODS: This was a population-based study, using data from the State's sources of vital statistics. Interruption was calculated using data on the number of programmed visits to the pharmacies, taking into account the date of the first prescription. It was considered that patients had adhered to the treatment if they came to at least 80% of the programmed visits. RESULTS: The overall percentage for non interruption of the antiretroviral therapy was 64.1%. No association was found with the following: gender, type of exposure, residence, nor with the type of antiretroviral combination prescribed. After multivariate analysis, significant associations continued to be found between interruption and in-hospital stay, use of drugs, psychiatric treatment, low level of education and age ranging from 25 to 34 years. CONCLUSIONS: These results point towards significant associations between interruption of antiretroviral treatment and the beginning of antiretroviral therapy during the in-hospital stay, the use of legal or illegal drugs, a history of psychiatric treatment, low level of education, and age ranging from 25 to 34 years.

[Spatial distribution of M. tuberculosis-HIV coinfection in São Paulo State, Brazil, 1991-2001]. / Distribuição espacial da co-infecção M. tuberculosis/HIV no Estado de São Paulo, 1991-2001.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the spatial pattern of tuberculosis incidence in relation to the AIDS epidemic, with the aim of investigating the geographical influence on causality. METHODS: All AIDS cases from State of São Paulo, notified to the Brazilian Ministry of Health between 1991 and 2001, were included. The cases were stratified by municipality, by administrative health regions, AIDS transmission categories, gender and years since diagnosis. A Gaussian geostatistical model was used to construct a thematic risk map, utilizing the tuberculosis incidence among AIDS cases as the response variable. RESULTS: Exploratory analysis showed two patterns of AIDS incidence: one for the state capital, and another, with increasing risk, for the other municipalities. The more populous regions presented higher risk of tuberculosis transmission, with a pattern that matched the land occupation pattern, from east to west. The health regions with the highest AIDS incidence coefficients (per 10,000 inhabitants) were Santos (53.5), São José do Rio Preto (43.1), Ribeirão Preto (42.4) and São Paulo (40.3). The health regions with greatest tuberculosis incidence among AIDS cases were Santos (44.9%), Franco da Rocha (39.9%), Osasco (39.6%) and São Paulo (38.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The results allow the conclusion that geographical coordinates presented an association with tuberculosis risk, but not with AIDS risk.

Temporal trends of HIV-related risk behavior among Brazilian military conscripts, 1997-2002.

PURPOSE: To present selected results of military conscript surveys related to HIV/AIDS, conducted in Brazil, 1997-2002. METHODS: Questionnaires including information on socio-demographic data, sexual behavior practices, sexually transmitted infections-related problems, and use of injecting drugs were completed by 30970 individuals, obtained through a 2-stage sampling. An index of sexual risk behavior was developed to take into account multiplicity of partners and irregularity of condom use. The HIV infection prevalence rate was estimated for 2002. Logistic regression was used to identify the most important determinants of HIV infection. RESULTS: The percentage of regular condom use increased from 38% (1997) to 49% (2002), and the index of sexual risk behavior decreased from 0.98 in 1997 to 0.87, in 2002. The HIV infection prevalence rate was 0.09%, in 2002, which remained unchanged since 1998 Riskier sexual practices among young men with incomplete education and among "men who have sex with men" were found as well as among the participants who reported at least one sexually transmitted infections - related problem. The most important predictor of HIV infection was to be positive for syphilis. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated value of the HIV infection prevalence supports the diagnosis of a concentrated HIV epidemic, in Brazil. Results indicate that particular attention needs to be paid for regional differentials, and for special subgroups, in Brazil.

[Ethics and medical research: principles, guidelines, and regulations]. / Etica e pesquisa médica: princípios, diretrizes e regulamentações.

The issue of ethics in medical research grew in importance at the end of World War II, after the Nuremberg Code. In this period, some cases in the United States had demonstrated the need for the establishment of rules and procedures in medical research. In this article, the authors discuss some ethical concepts and their philosophical basis, stressing aspects related to research. Ethics in medical research is based upon three items: peer approaches, subject informed consent, and confidentiality of individual obtained data. The authors also summarize the Brazilian laws and directives to follow the precepts and to control the process of ethical issues in research with human participants. Finally, they approach practical questions of the Informed Consent Form as a consequence of their experiences analyzing more than one thousand research projects per year as members of the Internal Review Board of the University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil.

[The AIDS epidemic in Brazil, 1991-2000: space-time description]. / A epidemia de AIDS no Brasil, 1991-2000: descrição espaço-temporal.

The incidence of AIDS was described by an ecological study of Brazilian municipalities, considering cases reported from 1991 to 2000. An increasing incidence was observed in women and among individuals with a low educational level. São Paulo State had different epidemiological profiles when the State Capital was compared to other cities, with an overall 46% of reported cases in the Country; Pernambuco State had almost the same profile since the beginning of the epidemic in Brazil; In Santa Catarina State the category of intravenous drug users had the greatest exposure. The increasing number of cases reported under the category of unknown transmission showed the increased bias in measurement by the surveillance system.

[Male circumcision and HIV infection: an international debate with no Brazilian participation]. / Circuncisão masculina e infecção pelo HIV: uma polêmica mundial sem voz brasileira.

The authors discuss male circumcision as a protective factor against HIV transmission. The absence is noted of Brazilian data published in the international literature regarding this issue. Finally, it is emphasized that self-declared circumcision status is subject to substantial misclassification with the generation of biased risk estimates.