Evidence reveals an increasing number of women aged 50 or over who have HIV/AIDS in Brazil. This descriptive and exploratory study, conducted in 2008, aimed to analyze perceptions about HIV/AIDS from women in this age group who attended a Basic Health Unit under the Family Health Program in São Paulo, Brazil. A structured-question questionnaire was used to interview 33 women according to the constructs of the Health Belief Model, which also guided data analysis. The data showed that these individuals were aware of their susceptibility to the infection and understood the severity of AIDS as well, but they did not break the obstacles for the prevention and transmission of HIV through sex. On the other hand, they have oriented their younger relatives about prevention measures. It has been concluded that, while recognizing the severity of AIDS, women do not transpose barriers in order to perform HIV infection prevention actions.
Women's health; AIDS; Aged; Nursing; Perception
