Sexual practices and the use of condom among women with HIV/AIDS

Abstract

It is part of a descriptive-qualitative research that had as one of the objectives to discuss the incidence of women with Aids and its reflex in the care practices in relation to that disease, in what concerns the sexual practices in the extent of relationships involving HIV-positives and HIV-negatives, using testimonies from HIV-positive women. The data was collected in a Specialized Care Service of the STD/HIV/Aids Service in a county of the greater Florianópolis city, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The participants were seven women, all over 18 years of age. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews. After the content analysis, the following categories were constituted: “Vulnerability before HIV infection” and “Vulnerability after HIV infection”. The results indicate that women believe to be protected when they have a stable relationship. After the infection, condom is requested for protection against HIV or other diseases sexually transmissible, and as a contraceptive method. One realizes the difficulty in negotiating this care method with one’s partners, even in dealing with relationships among HIV-negatives, which evidences that women continue to be hostages of their own vulnerability, even after been infected.