HIV risk behavior and medical status of underprivileged youths in Belo Horizonte, Brazil

• Published in: Journal of adolescent health Vol. 15; no. 2; pp. 179 - 185
• Main Authors: Pinto, Jorge A., Ruff, Andrea J., Paiva, Jose V., Antunes, Carlos M., Adams, Irene K., Halsey, Neal A., Greco, Dirceu B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.03.1994; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Age Distribution; AIDS/HIV; Biological and medical sciences; Brazil; Brazil - epidemiology; Child; Confidence Intervals; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health Behavior; Health Services Needs and Demand; Health Status; Health Surveys; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - prevention & control; HIV Infections - transmission; Homeless Adolescents; Homeless Persons; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Illness and personality; institutionalized HIV seroprevalence; Male; Morbidity; Odds Ratio; Personality, behavior and health; Poor young people; Population; Poverty; Psychology and medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Relationship; Risk behaviour; Risk Factors; Risk-Taking; Tropical medicine; South America; Brazil; America; Homeless Adolescents; institutionalized HIV seroprevalence; Human; High risk; Urban environment; Sexual behavior; AIDS; Infection; Health status; Sexually transmitted disease; No fixed abode; Viral disease; Adolescent; Sexual abuse; Public health; South America; Americas; Age Factors; Drug Usage; Health; Viral Diseases; Youth; Hiv Infections; Urban Population; Diseases; Latin America; Population Characteristics; Brazil; Population; Research Report; Risk Behavior; Developing Countries; Behavior; Sex Behavior; Demographic Factors
• ISSN: 1054-139X; 1879-1972
• DOI: 10.1016/1054-139X(94)90547-9

Methods: From June 1989 to April 1991, 394 adolescents aged 10–18 years randomly selected upon admission at a state shelter in Belo Horizonte, Brazil underwent health history interview, physical examination, serology for HIV, hepatitis B, and syphilis, and stool examination. Participants were classified as street-based youths (n = 195) or home-based youths (n = 199). The age distribution was similar in both groups, although males were overrepresented among street-based youths (79.5% versus 62.3%). Results: Compared with home-based youths, street-based youths reported earlier onset ( p = 0.009) and higher rates of sexual activity (odds ratio [OR], 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4–3.3), sexual abuse (OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.2–10.1), and sexually transmitted diseases (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.3–6.6). Overall condom use was low in both groups. Street-based youths were 7.8 times more likely to use drugs than home-based youths (95%CI, 4.9–12.7). Inhalants and marijuana were the more commonly used drugs. Intravenous drug use was low. Conclusions: Although chronic malnutrition and multiple parasitosis were common findings in both groups, street-based youths were more likely to present disorders related to trauma and poor hygienic conditions. Antibodies to HIV were detected in four (2%) street-based youths and in none of the home-based youths. This study confirms that street youths are at higher risk for HIV infection than their home-based peers and indicates a need for HIV prevention programs targeting this population.