Hospitalizations for HIV/AIDS: differences between sexes.
BACKGROUND
Women are especially vulnerable to HIV infection because of biological, social, cultural, and economic factors. In Brazil, AIDS was initially seen predominantly in homosexual men, but the epidemic gradually reached a gender balance as increasing numbers of women became infected with HIV.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to identify the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of hospitalized patients with HIV/AIDS of both sexes and compare the differences between them.


METHODS
This epidemiologic cross-sectional study evaluated gender differences in demographic, social, clinical, and epidemiologic characteristics of patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS who were admitted for any reason to the Public Hospital of the Medical School of the Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais State, Brazil.


RESULTS
A total of 363 patients were included in the analysis, with a male/female ratio of 1.1:1.0. Forty-one percent of women were pregnant. Mean age at hospitalization and duration of hospitalization were significantly greater among men (P<0.05). Men and nonpregnant women were admitted because of infection significantly more often than were pregnant women (P<0.05). Significantly more single men who reported homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual behavior associated with drug use were admitted compared with women (P<0.05). Women admitted for treatment were significantly more likely than men to be employed (P<0.05). Adherence to antiretroviral treatment and T CD4+ lymphocyte count indicated important differences between the sexes, with better parameters observed among nonpregnant and pregnant women compared with men.


CONCLUSIONS
In the present study, women with HIV/AIDS who were admitted to the hospital for any reason were in better clinical condition compared with men. This observation may be partially explained by the proportion of pregnant women in the study population. These findings suggest that future studies should examine pregnant women with HIV/AIDS as a separate population group to avoid bias in analysis.
Nunes
Altacílio Aparecido
AA
Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeiraão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeiraão Preto, São Paulo State, Brazil. altacilio@fmrp.usp.br
de Melo
Igor Mariano
IM
da Silva
Ana Laura Alves
AL
Rezende
Leandro dos Santos de Araújo
Ldos S
Guimarães
Paulo Bettero
PB
Silva-Vergara
Mario Leon
ML
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006304:Health Status; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult; D016903:Drug Monitoring