The opinion of elders who attend third age groups about sexually-communicable diseases and HIV/AIDS

ABSTRACT

STD and HIV/AIDS are affections that affect a huge part of population. This study tried to identify the knowledge of elder, who attend third age groups, have about STDs and HIV/AIDS. It is a quantitative, transversal research. Data was collected through interviews. The study was carried out in 2006, and 52 elderly people, living in Ijuí City, Brazil, took part in it. After codification, data were descriptively analyzed. Information shows predominance of females (61,54%), ages ranging from 60 to 69 years-old (73,08%), with no completion of elementary school (59,61%), and married (40,38%). Most of them have already heard about these affections, and the major information sources are: television (88,46%) and health professionals (51,92%). When the subject is HIV, known preventive methods are: the use of condom (73,07%) and having only one sexual partner (46,15%). It is interesting that 25% of the elderly ones do not know that a person with a healthy appearance can be an HIV bearer, and 34,62% say that they know people who bear this morbid disease. When they were asked about the STD they knew, they mentioned: Aids (63,46%), gonorrhea (38,46%), syphilis (28,84%), chancroid (3,46%), genital wart (11,53%); 71,15% informed that they did not do the test to detect HIV; 73,07% do not consider themselves as people in risk to contract these diseases, and 38,48% say they never use preservatives during intercourse. Data show that the prevention campaigns do not reach this part of population, what should be a concern, since many elders have active sexual life.

public opinion; aged; social group; sexually transmitted diseases; acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Ijuí city