Sociodemographic and behavioral aspects of HIV positive individuals from a HIV/STD counseling and testing center (CTA) in the city of Belém, Pará

Abstract

Backgound and Objectives: The Testing and Counseling Center’s (CTA) are characterized for offer actions directed toward HIV testing and counseling pretest and after test that the systematic collection of information involves allowing to know important characteristics epidemiologists and behaviors associates to the HIV seropositivity of the users of the service. This study it had as objective to describe the sociodemographic and behavioral aspects of the users with positive serology taken care of in the biggest CTA of the state of Pará, between 2008 and 2010. Methods: The collection and analysis of data had been carried through on the basis of the System of information of CTA (SI-CTA), in the serological tests and interviews of 547 HIV infected users respecting all the ethical rules. Results: in relation to the epidemiological features, 60.6% were men, with average of age of 33,4 years, 54.2% were single, in the majority medium brown (77.6%), with education of 8 to the 11 years (54%) and in the majority heterosexuals (64,3%). In relation to the use of condoms, 53.7% (IC95% 33,4; 41,7) with fixed partnership and 40.2 (IC95% 14,5; 21,1) with eventual partnerships had told not the use of condoms in the sexual relations. Amongst the main reasons for the use of condoms they had not been distinguished it confidence in the partner, the non-availability at the moment of the relation and other reasons. Conclusion: The results suggest that even so it has similarities in relation to the current trend of the epidemic of HIV/Aids, exist peculiarities in our region that deserve differentiated preventive interventions. KEYWORDS: HIV Infections. Epidemiology. HIV Seroprevalence.