OBJECTIVE: To assess the relative risk for AIDS between men who have sex with other men and heterosexual men. METHODS: Estimates on the proportion of men who have sex with men in Brazil and AIDS data from Brazil's Information System for Notifiable Diseases, were utilized. Estimates were calculated for the relative risk (RR) for AIDS of men who have sex with men with respect to heterosexual masculine population in Brazil; state and city of São Paulo; and state and city of Rio de Janeiro, from 1996 to 2003. The trajectory of the RR in this period was also analyzed. RESULTS: The estimates for relative risk decreased, with a tendency to stabilize: from 34.3 to 19.3 in the entire country and from 32.1 and 6.3 in the locations analyzed. In the country in 2003, the relative risk of bisexual men in relation to heterosexual men was 16.0. The RR for exclusive homosexuals had a decreasing trajectory in all of the locations studied, but not for the bisexual population. CONCLUSIONS: In all locations, the relative risk for men who have sex with other men was higher in relation to heterosexual men. This result indicates a high and persistent vulnerability among this population.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Homosexuality, Male; Heterosexuality Health; Sexual Behavior; Risk Factors; Vulnerability
