Vulnerability to HIV among older men who have sex with men users of dating apps in Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: The elderly population is increasingly benefiting from recent technological advances. In this scenario, geolocation-based dating applications provide a viable alternative for finding partners in a practical and timely manner, but may be accompanied by certain risk behaviors for HIV infection. Although there are considerable number of users over 50 on these applications, no studies have addressed this problem. The aim of the present study was to analyze factors of vulnerability to HIV/Aids among the population of men who have sex with men (MSM) age 50 years or older who use dating apps. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, population-survey-based, analytical study, conducted exclusively online with a sample of 412 MSM. The data was collected from the following apps: Grindr®, Hornet®, Scruff® and Daddy Hunter®. RESULTS: Factors associated with a higher chance of having HIV were: sexual relations with an HIV-infected partner (ORa=5.53; 95%CI=2.23-13.73); chemsex (ORa=3.97; 95%CI=1.72-8.92); and, above all, having an HIV-infected partner (ORa=8.02; 95%CI=2.01-32.01). The belief that apps increase protection against sexually transmitted infections (ORa=0.43; 95%CI=0.19-0.95) and not being familiar with post-exposure prophylaxis (ORa=0.43; 95%CI=0.19-0.95) were associated with decreased chances of having HIV. CONCLUSIONS: We highlight some important factors that structure the vulnerability of the MSM surveyed in relation to HIV infection. The findings should be used to customize care for this population, which could bring them in more for health care services.

Quality of life among Brazilian women living with HIV/AIDS.

The purpose of the present study was to assess quality of life (QoL) in Brazilian women living with HIV/AIDS, according to the World Health Organization Quality of Life HIV-BREF (WHOQoL-HIV-BREF) domains. A quantitative-based, cross-sectional, analytical study was carried out in healthcare centers specialized in assisting people living with HIV/AIDS, located in a municipality of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. One hundred and six women of age 18 years or more, users of the public healthcare system, participated in the study. Socio-demographic and clinical variables were collected using a specific questionnaire. Quality of life related variables were collected by means of the WHOQoL-HIV-BREF instrument. As per the QoL domains, study results show that the Spirituality domain reached a standardized mean score of 65.7, followed by the Physical (64.7), Psychological (60.6), Social Relationships (59.5), Independence (58.6), and Environment (54.5) domains. Results of the multiple regression analysis indicate that the women's employment or retirement, income greater than the minimum wage, and higher educational level were associated with a higher standardized mean score of QoL. However, recent HIV/AIDS diagnosis and exposure to antiretroviral agents for a period shorter than two years were negatively associated with QoL. It is critical that public policies favor an all-embracing social inclusion of these women, thus promoting better social conditions. Counseling, clinical follow-up immediately after the infection diagnosis, and initiation of antiretroviral treatment are crucial moments in the lives of these individuals.

A parceria sexual na visão de mulheres portadoras do vírus da imunodeficiência humana ? HIV / Sexual partnership according to women with the human immunodeficiency virus

Introdução: vários fatores influenciam a vulnerabilidade da mulher para a aquisição do HIV, dentre eles baixa percepção de risco e desconhecimento sobre comportamentos de risco de sua parceria sexual. Objetivo: investigar a percepção de mulheres portadoras do HIV/aids sobre comportamentos de risco para aquisição de infecção e sua parceria sexual. Métodos: estudo descritivo exploratório realizado no ambulatório de moléstias infecto-contagiosas de ginecologia de um hospital-escola do interior paulista. Entrevistaram-se 50 mulheres portadoras do HIV, em seguimento clínico puerperal, adotando-se um roteiro de entrevista. Utilizou-se o programa EPI-INFO 6.0, para a análise dos dados. Resultados: as mulheres investigadas apresentaram baixa percepção sobre riscos para aquisição do HIV/aids: 36 (72%) delas tiveram conhecimento de sua infecção, casualmente, e 33 (66%) relataram não ter nenhum comportamento de risco para a aquisição desse vírus. Para 42 (84%) mulheres, a aquisição do HIV foi atribuída à via sexual, e a maioria considerou o primeiro ou o segundo parceiro como o infectante. Dentre os aspectos do comportamento do parceiro tido como "infectante", as mulheres citaram fatores de riscos isolados; a maioria, 38 (76,0%), relatou mais de um fator de risco associado. Conclusão: a prevenção da transmissão sexual deve-se constituir numa das principais metas dos programas de educação em saúde, buscando sensibilizar os indivíduos aadotarem comportamentos mais sexuais seguros. Com crescente aumento de HIV/aids entre a população feminina, não apenas estratégias preventivas específicas devem ser direcionadas a essa clientela, também deve haver a conscientização masculina sobre a sua co-responsabilidade pela saúde sexual e reprodutiva de suas parceiras.

Introduction: various factors influence the vulnerability of women to acquire HIV, including low perceived risk and lack of knowledge about their sexual' partners risk behaviors. Objective: examine how women with HIV/aids perceive risk behaviors related to acquiring the infection and to their sexual partners. Methods: a descriptive and exploratory study was carried out at the outpatient clinic for infectious-contagious diseases and gynecology of a teaching hospital in the interior of São Paulo State. We interviewed 50 women with HIV, who were under clinical follow-up during the puerperium, using an interview script. EPI-INFO 6.0 was used for data analysis. Results: participants presented low perceived risk to acquireHIV/aids; 36 (72%) of them found out about their infection by chance and 33 (66%) informed they did not perform any risk behavior to acquire thisvirus. Forty-two women (84%) attributed their HIV infection to sexual intercourse, and most of them considered their first or second partner as the source of infection. As to the aspects of their partners' behavior considered as a "source of infection", these women mentioned isolated risk factors, and 38 of them (76.0%) indicated more than one associated risk factor. Conclusion: health education programs should adopt prevention of sexual transmission as one of their main targets, with a view to making people aware of the need to adopt safe sexual behavior. In view of the advancement of HIV/aids in the female population, specific prevention strategies need to be directed at this clientele, and men need to be made aware of their coresponsibility for the sexual and reproductive health of their partners.

Conhecimento de balconistas de farmácia de Ribeirão Preto sobre gonorréia / Knowledge of drugstore attendants of Ribeirão Preto about gonorrhoeae

No Brasil, a gonorréia não é de notificação complusória, é alta a auto-medicação e os antibióticos são vendidos livremente em farmácias. Objetiva identificar o conhecimento de balconistas de farmácia sobre gonorréia