Vulnerability of adolescents and young student from public school to HIV in an administrative region of the Distrito Federal

Vulnerability of adolescents and young to HIV

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the vulnerability to HIV among adolescents and young high school students in public schools. Method: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in Ceilândia (Distrito Federal, Brazil). The study evaluated individuals of both sexes from 11 public high schools. To be included, volunteers needed to be aged 15 to 24 years old and enrolled in a public school. Those with cognitive impairments that hindered their understanding of the survey instrument were excluded. A self-administered questionnaire with 11 objective questions related to behaviors and knowledge about STIs/HIV was used. The findings were compared with regional data, using secondary data from the Brazilian Unified Health System on HIV/AIDS notifications. Results: Most individuals (n=3,706, 96.1%) were in the medium or high vulnerability categories, with a positive correlation between age and higher vulnerability (p<0.001). Males were the majority (n=896, 23.30%) within the high susceptibility group. Although most exposures were heterosexual (n=2,874), among homosexual relationships (n=121), the majority (n=71; 58.68%) were in the high vulnerability category. Nine schools had a higher frequency of individuals in the medium vulnerability category (n=1,945; 50.57%), while two schools had a higher frequency of individuals with high vulnerability (n=342; 8.9%). Conclusion: Data suggest adolescents and young adults face challenges in acquiring and applying knowledge about healthy sexual behaviors, indicating a need for better integration between health services, schools, and communities.