Experience in the study of HIV sexual contacts in Ciudad Habana, Cuba. 1986-2001.
Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. F11741)
Maria Elena Alonso ME, Reyes RR, Mria Isela Lantero MI, Torres RT, Manuel Santin MS, Diana Rodriguez Gabalda DR, Jose Joanes Fiol JJ Ministerio de Salud, Ciudad Habana, Cuba
Since the implementation of the Cuban program in 1986, one of the most important sanitary interventions for the prevention and control of the HIV/Aids is Partner notification with the purpose of stopping the propagation of the virus by means of the education about individual's risk for transmitting or acquiring HIV infection. The process is carried out voluntarily, with guarantee of the confidentiality and it is carried out in 2 ways: Patient's Referral and Provider's Referral. being the second the most used one. Ciudad Habana capital of the country, shows the highest detection rate, it accumulates 52,3% of the total of seropositive notified, 84, 1% of the masculine sex, 90,3% of the same ones are men who have sex with other men (MSM). Through Partner Notification 9036 contacts have been obtained, 41, 8% of those notified in the country, having completed the follow-up 72,2%; This has allowed us to make education and counseling to a considerable number of not infected people at risk. Through contact tracing we have been able to identify as much as the 23% of reported HIV cases in the city and it has facilitated us to detect a group of people in the early stages of infection. The intervention has contributed a slow HIV propagation, being Cuban epidemic considered as of low transmission.
Keywords: AEGIS, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, Contact Tracing, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Counseling, Communicable Disease Control, Learning, Cuba, Human, Male
