Stigma and rapid testing in Primary Care: users’ and professionals’ perception

• Autor(a) principal: Ew, Raquel de Andrade Souza
• Data de Publicação: 2018
• Outros Autores: Ferreira, Guilherme Severo, Moro, Larissa Moraes, Rocha, Kátia Bones
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por; eng
• Título da fonte: Revista Brasileira em Promoção da Saúde
• Texto Completo: https://ojs.unifor.br/RBPS/article/view/7463
• topic: Stigma; Primary Health Care; Aids Serodiagnosis.; Estigma Social; Atención Primaria de Salud; Sorodiagnóstico del SIDA.; Estigma Social; Atenção Primária à Saúde; Sorodiagnóstico da AIDS.

Objective: To analyze how stigma and discrimination related to Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) are presented in the everyday lives of users and professionals in the context of the implantation of rapid testing for HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) in Primary Health Care. Methods: Qualitative, exploratory study, performed in 2015 in 15 health care units of Porto Alegre, Brazil. Participants were 64 people, 34 users and 30 health professionals of different fields. Data was collected using semi-structured interview and organized based on the thematic analysis of the participants’ statements. Results: The stigma associated with HIV/AIDS is present in the different speeches of the interviewees. Participants showed similarities in indicating who should take the rapid HIV test, citing drug users, adolescents and women. The respondents perceive stigma and discrimination in the community and health services, and the professionals say that there is prejudice on the part of staff members and even the service users, not becoming involved in this process. Considering Aids as any disease is a way of neutralizing the identification of stigma, which does not recognize the historical specificities of HIV and the singularities of the people affected. Conclusion: The challenge faced by Primary Health Care is to recognize the concepts that underpin the identification of individuals vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, so as to avoid reproducing stigma that hamper health promotion .