Gender differences on the risk to HIV infection in adolescents interned at the Fundação Estadual para o Bem-estar do Menor de São Paulo FEBEM

Author(s)

Leila Strazza de Azevedo

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina (FM/SBD)
• Defense date: 1999-09-29

Examining board members

Eduardo Massad; Jose Ricardo de Carvalho Mesquita Ayres; Lidio de Souza

• Advisor: Eduardo Massad

Abstract

In order to study the prevalence of HIV and related risky behaviors among disadvantaged youth, we interviewed and bled, between December 1994 and April 1995, 1122 young male and 93 young female who were serving time in FEBEM, a state institution that cares for homeless and offender youth of São Paulo, Brazil. Our questionnaire covered the following areas: sexual practices and use of illicit drugs: knowledge of HIV and STDs and their prevention; and myths and beliefs about AIDS. Seroprevalence of HIV was assessed and related with risk-taking behaviors by means of uni-,bi- and multivariate analysis. We found 2.6% of the males and 10.3% of the females to be positive to HIV. The prevalence of HCV antibodies resulted in 5.9% for males and 4.6% for females, respectively. The risk for parenterally transmitted HIV among males was higher than that for sexually related transmission. The inverse relationship was found among females. (AU)