Clinical-epidemiological characteristics of a group of HIV/AIDS infected women in Salvador-Bahia

The increasing number of HIV/AIDS infected women is one of the main characteristics of the AIDS epidemic, besides the wide expansion of the disease among the poor. This study focused on a group of 82 women with AIDS from Salvador - Bahia. The mean age was 32 ± 7.2 years, 75% had children, 82.5% were jobless, and 77.8% were illiterate or only had basic education. The number of sexual partners was five or fewer in 71% of cases and 25% had only one sexual partner. Forty-six (55.4%) women reported up to 77 episodes of opportunist infections. The majority of the patients were from the lower classes, with no good education, a low income and few sexual partners. The main via of transmission was heterosexual, and many of the women were infected by their steady partner/husband.

AIDS; HIV; Women; Feminization; Poverty