Sexuality and knowledge about hiv/aids in elders who participate in a social center for the elderly

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the knowledge of elders regarding HIV/AIDS and the sexual quotient of both genders in a Social Center in a town in the countryside of Minas Gerais, Brazil. This is a descriptive, transversal and quantitative study, involving 457 elders who belong to social groups offered by the Facility for the Care of the Elderly (UAI, in the Portuguese acronym), in the town of Uberaba, MG. In this study, the following instruments were used: MEEM to select those with a minimum level of cognition, QHIV3I to evaluate their knowledge, and QS-F/QS-M to measure the sexual quotient. Data was analyzed with the "Statistical Package for Social Sciences" (SPSS), version 20.0. Females represented 74% of participants, 40.5% between 70 and 79 y/o. 51.8% stated not to have a partner. Questions regarding transmission by needles and syringes, had the greatest number of right answers 96.2%. Only 45.1%, however, answered correctly the question about transmission through mosquito bites. 90.2% of the elders know it is possible to detect the virus through laboratory exams. And 88.2% of them stated to have never used a condom in sexual intercourses. Regarding the sexual quotient, 57.7% of the female elders stated to have a bad or null sex life, while only 7.6% of the male stated to have inactive sex lives. Campaigns targeted at this population are necessary, as well as an increase in the awareness of the health professionals, since that would make it possible for them to recognize the sexuality of the elder, and the risks inherent to it.