title: Behavior assessment of women attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic in Vitória, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies about sexual risk behaviors can provide information to support design strategies to control the spread of HIV infection.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess sexual risk behaviors among women attending a sexually transmitted diseases clinic in Vitória, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was performed among women attending an STD/AIDS reference center. Enrolled participants were interviewed and provided a blood sample to determine HIV status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 276 women participated. among 284 selected; 109 (39.5%) were HIV-positive and 167 (60.5%) HIV-negative. Median age was 31 years (interquartile range (IQR)24-36) and 69% of women were between 18 and 34 years of age. Women reported high access to information about STD (87%) and AIDS (90%) but information about sexuality was less common (55%). HIV-positive women asked their partners to use condoms more often than HIV-negatives (31% vs. 5%, p=0.02), and were more likely to have used a condom at last intercourse (65% vs. 33%, p<0.01). Among all patients, questions regarding risk of HIV transmission through sexual intercourse (99.6%) and needle sharing (99.2%) were most frequently answered correctly, while questions regarding risk of HIV transmission through blood donation (57%) were least.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Though this population reports easy access to information and services for HIV/sexually transmitted diseases, most report little understanding of unsafe sexual behaviors, particularly HIV-negative women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil. espinosa@ndi.ufes.br
authors.forename: Angelica Espinosa
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: Bettina Moulin Coelho
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giami
authors.forename: Jonathan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Golub
authors.forename: Sinesio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Talhari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult