Barcelona 2013
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| Abstract #487 - E-Posters English | ||||
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Session: 50.122: E-Posters English (Poster) on Sunday in Chaired by Authors: Presenting Author: Prof. Sónia Dias - Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical/Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal |
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| Additional Authors: Dr. Jordi Casabona, Sra Cristina Sanclemente, Dra. Anna Esteve, Dra. Victoria Gonzalez, Grupo HIVITS TS, | ||||
| Aim: Portugal is one of the western European countries with the highest burden of HIV infection. Estimates indicate that in 2006 20% of Portugal?s diagnosed HIV cases referred to immigrants, with a disproportionate number of new heterosexually acquired infections. Although, knowledge about behavioral factors that increase immigrants? vulnerability to HIV is limited. This study aims to describe HIV sexual risk behaviors and investigate HIV prevalence among immigrants in Portugal. | ||||
| Method / Issue: A participatory research approach was used in a cross-sectional study conducted with 1187 immigrants (52.2% female; 34% from Portuguese-speaking African countries, 33.8% from Brazil, 32.3% from Eastern European countries). The study was conducted in the National Centre for Immigrant Support in Lisbon. All immigrants who visited this Centre in its opening hours during the data collection period (3 months) were invited to participate in the study. Data were collected through a questionnaire applied by trained interviewers from immigrant communities. It included questions on socio-demographics, sexual behaviors, HIV testing and self-reported infection. Factors associated with non-condom use in the last sexual intercourse with an occasional partner was analyzed by a multiple logistic regression analysis. The magnitude of associations was estimated by means of odds ratios with 95% CI. | ||||
| Results / Comments: The majority of participants reported having had sexual relations in the previous year; three quarters had 1 sexual partner in Portugal, 20.2% had 2-4 partners and 5.6% had ≥5. About 89% of participants had sexual relations with steady partners during the previous year; 25.9% had sexual relations with occasional partners, more men than women (p<0.001), more Brazilians than Africans and Eastern Europeans (p=0.003). Consistent condom use with steady partners was reported by 18.3% of participants (no significant differences across sex and origin). Consistent condom use with occasional partners was reported by 68.2% of participants, more men than women (p=0.005), more Eastern Europeans and Brazilians than Africans (p=0.001). A third of participants had received free condoms in previous year. Overall, 65% didn?t use condom in their last sexual intercourse: 75.5% with a steady partner and 16.2% with an occasional partner. Unprotected sex was higher among women (p<0.001) and Africans (p=0.001). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, among those who had their last sexual intercourse with an occasional partner, unprotected sex was more likely among women, Africans (compared to Brazilians), those with lower education and those who haven?t received free condoms in previous year. Overall, 62.4% had been tested for HIV: 68.5% of women and 55.8% of men (p<0.001); 75.8% of Brazilians, 67.7% of Africans, 42.9% of Eastern Europeans (p<0.001). Of these, 2% (n=15) reported being HIV-positive: 2.5% of men, 1.7% of women; 4.4% of Africans, 1.2% of Eastern Europeans, 0.3% of Brazilians. Among those HIV positive, 80% were in treatment. | ||||
| Discussion: The adoption of sexual risk behaviors is strongly influenced by gender and sociocultural background. The results highlight that different subgroups of the immigrant population present disparate levels of vulnerability and health needs, which should be considered when designing interventions to reduce risk of HIV infection among this population. | ||||
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