AEGiS-11IAC: Mentally ill inpatients: assesment of sexual behavior, knowledge and attttudes about AIDS.

11th International AIDS Conference


Vancouver, British Columbia — July 7-12, 1996

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Mentally ill inpatients: assesment of sexual behavior, knowledge and attttudes about AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS 1996 Jul 7-12; 11:488 (abstract no. Pub.D.1323)
Oliveira SB, Tostes MA, Mota MP; Psychiatry Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Fax: 55-21-2952549.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to investigate aspects of the sexual behavior and AIDS knowledge from mentally ill patients. Methodology All patients hospitalized in October/1995 in the Psychiatric Institute were interviewed. We used a structured interview to obtain socio-demographic data and information about sexual behavior and AIDS from the patients. We also made a chart review looking for additional information about the psychiatric treatment and diagnosis.

RESULTS: We concluded the interviews with 52 patients: Women 31/52(39,6%), Men 21/52(40,4%). Age: 18-45 years (70,6%). Level of Education (years of school): 0-4 (25%), 5-11 (61,5%), +12 (13,5%). Most of the patients (71,2%) had more than 4 years of psychiatric treatment and at least 48,1% have had 5 or more psychiatric hospitalizations. The main psychiatric diagnostics groups were: Schizophrenia (39,1%) and Affective Disorders (19,7%). Sexual Behavior: Most of the patients referred heterosexual orientation, 9,5% of men and 3,2% of women recognized homosexual activity. In the last twelve months 54,8% of women have had one sexual partner and 23,8% none; 52,4% of men referred one sexual partner, 14,2% two and 19,4% none. A subgroup reported regular utilization of condoms (23,8% of men and 24,2% of women). History of sexual abuse was common (32,3% of women and 19,0% of men). Many have sometimes changed sex for money or drugs (women 17,2% and men 14,3%). Some patients (10,3% of women and 9,5% of men) mentioned sexual intercourse in the current hospitalization. AIDS: 63,7% of women and 72,2% of men, answered correctly to the questions about AIDS transmission, and those with 5 to 11 years of school had a better performance. Most of the patients (70,5%) obtained information about AIDS from newspaper, radio and TV and only 6,5% mentioned the health care professionals as a source of information.

CONCLUSIONS: The mentally ill patients tended to be considered a group difficult to reach by educational programs. In this paper we show that it is possible to obtain relevant information about sex and AIDS from them. They seemed to be a heterogeneous group when considering sexual behavior. Many didn't have sexual partners in the previous year but most mantained sexual activity, and unsafe sex was common. It is important to develop AIDS prevention programs to the mentally ill patients and the health team should have a more important place in that process.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Condoms, Sexual Partners, Mentally Ill Persons, Inpatients, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Knowledge, Heterosexuality, Interviews, Human, Female, Male, ICA11KWDaegis,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,condoms,sexualpartners,mentallyillpersons,inpatients,knowledge,attitudes,practice,knowledge,heterosexuality,interviews,human,female,male,ica11

960707
PubD1323

Copyright © 1996 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.