Sexually transmitted diseases among psychiatric patients in Brazil

• Published in: The Brazilian journal of infectious diseases Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 13 - 20
• Main Authors: Dutra, Maria Rita Teixeira, Campos, Lorenza Nogueira, Guimarães, Mark Drew Crosland
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Elsevier Editora Ltda 01.01.2014; Contexto; Elsevier; Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Brazil; Brazil - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Distribution; Female; Health aspects; Humans; INFECTIOUS DISEASES; Male; Mental Disorders - complications; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Original; Prevalence; Psychiatric patients; Public health administration; Self Report; Sexually transmitted diseases; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - complications; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - epidemiology; Sexually transmitted infections; Young Adult; Brazil; Brazil; Psychiatric patients; Sexually transmitted infections
• ISSN: 1413-8670; 1678-4391; 1678-4391
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bjid.2013.04.004

Sexually transmitted diseases are still highly prevalent worldwide and represent an important public health problem. Psychiatric patients are at increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases but there are scarce published studies with representative data of this population. We sought to estimate the prevalence and correlates of self-reported sexually transmitted diseases among patients with mental illnesses under care in a national representative sample in Brazil (n=2145). More than one quarter of the sample (25.8%) reported a lifetime history of sexually transmitted disease. Multivariate analyses showed that patients with a lifetime sexually transmitted disease history were older, had history of homelessness, used more alcohol and illicit drugs, suffered violence, perceived themselves to be at greater risk for HIV and had high risk sexual behavioral: practised unprotected sex, started sexual life earlier, had more than ten sexual partners, exchanged money and/or drugs for sex and had a partner that refused to use condom. Our findings indicate a high prevalence of self-reported sexually transmitted diseases among psychiatric patients in Brazil, and emphasize the need for implementing sexually transmitted diseases prevention programs in psychiatric settings, including screening, treatment, and behavioral modification interventions.