title: [Missed opportunities for serological evaluation of human immunodeficiency virus infection during routine outpatient care at the University Hospital of Brasilia, Federal District].
abstract: The factors involved in the provision of serological testing to detect human immunodeficiency virus infection, for adults within the outpatient care setting at the University Hospital of Brasilia, were studied. Specific questionnaires were applied to 53 physicians and 347 users. The results showed that 96.8% of the users identified unprotected sexual intercourse as a risk factor for acquiring this infection and that 13.6% were unaware of possibility of vertical transmission. Regarding users' exposure to risk factors, 88.2% practiced unprotected sexual intercourse, 22.2% had a diagnosis of other sexually transmitted diseases and 22.2% had received blood transfusions. The risk factors that physicians asked about most frequently were unprotected sexual practices and previous diagnoses of hepatitis B or C (35.9% for each). Eighteen percent of the users had been offered tests at the University Hospital of Brasilia; 15.8% underwent tests and 7.4% of the individuals tested had not had access to the results. Ninety-one percent of the physicians said that they felt comfortable about offering tests, while only 30.4% offered them routinely. The study confirms that opportunities for serological testing to detect this infection at the University Hospital of Brasilia have been missed and reinforces the need to implement measures to correct this problem.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF.
authors.forename: Maria Helena Pereira Pires de
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Karolinne Cardoso
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Muniz
authors.forename: Adriano Evangelista
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Flávia de Azevedo
authors.initials: Fde A
authors.lastname: Belêsa
authors.forename: Eliane Maria Fleury
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Seidl
authors.forename: Wania Maria do Espírito Santo
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Gustavo Adolfo Sierra
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Romero
mesh_terms: D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult