AEGiS-11IAC: Behaviors and attitudes among male gays in the city of Fortaleza (northeastern Brazil) towards the HIV/AIDS infection.

11th International AIDS Conference

Vancouver, British Columbia — July 7-12, 1996

Behaviors and attitudes among male gays in the city of Fortaleza (northeastern Brazil) towards the HIV/AIDS infection.

Int Conf AIDS 1996 Jul 7-12; 11:489 (abstract no. Pub.D.1330)
Kerr-Pontes LS, Mota R, Martins T, Gondim R; Universidade Federal do Ceara, Ceara, Brazil. Fax: 55 85 267-4986. E-mail: ligia@ufc.br.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse behaviors and attitudes of male homo/bisexuals that can influence the dissemination of the infection by HIV/AIDS in the city of Fortaleza.

METHODS: Four-hundred-and-one men that make sex with other men (MSM) from the city of Fortaleza, were recruited through the snow-ball technique (pals-web, gay clubs, gay organizations, and public places), being interviewed through a semi-structured questionnaire. And attempt to respect a minimum number of individuals in each social class (A - higher, B - middle, C - lower) and age group (below 22, 22-32, 32-42 and above 42) was made. The analysis was carried with the SPSS-PC applying statistical tests to the contigence tables.

RESULTS: The majority of the individuals interviewed (58.8 %) lives with the family. 23.0% of the MSM had at least one occasional sexual contact with women in the last 12 months. In the highersocial classes, the great majority define themselves as homosexual or bisexual (A=85.9% and B=88.8%), while in the C Class, most frequently the definition was "queer". Independently (p=0.6088) of the social class, a high percentage of them have sexual relations with both men and women alike (A=17.9%, B=18.9%, C=22.8%). The use of alcohol once a week or more did not show to be associated with sexual practices of high risk of HIV infection among the interviewed (p=0.1346).

CONCLUSIONS: Homosexual orientation among MSM is not assumed as identity in the sample studied. Other social and cultural variables, such as living with the family and rigid male sex roles, may influence this behavior. These attitudes make difficult the development of HIV/AIDS preventive activities with this population in the city of Fortaleza/Ce, Brazil, and increase the risk of infection among women that get sexually involved with these individuals.

Keywords: AEGIS, Homosexuality, Male, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Bisexuality, HIV Infections, Homosexuality, Attitude, Cities, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Questionnaires, Interviews, Brazil, Male, Human, Female, ICA11

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