Epidemiological profile of Adolescents living with HIV/AIDS in Espirito Santo, Brazil: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: The AIDS epidemic has undergone several transformations, and, in recent years, there has been an increase in cases of HIV/AIDS among adolescents and young people. Thus, it is essential to know this population to base health actions scientifically. Objective: This study aims to analyze the epidemiological profile of adolescents living with HIV/AIDS in Espírito Santo, Brazil. Methods: A descriptive, sectional study in which notifications of HIV/AIDS among adolescents aged 13 to 19 between 2010 and 2020 were analyzed. Results: 523 adolescents with HIV/AIDS were found in the analyzed period (an average of 47 cases/year). There was a predominance of male adolescents (68.8%), older than 16 years (mean=18.0 years), of mixed race/colour (54.6%), living in the metropolitan region near the capital. It was observed that the schooling of females is lower, with 47.2% of them in elementary school, while 45.0% of the boys are in high school. In most cases, the infection occurred via sexual intercourse, among men, through homosexual relations (55.0%), and among women, through heterosexual relations (82.2%). The HIV viral load was detectable in almost all (84.8%) cases, and 11 (6.8%) of these adolescents died. Conclusion: The epidemiological profile of HIV and AIDS cases among adolescents in Espírito Santo shows a higher frequency of cases in males aged 16 to 19 years, with incomplete high school education, who acquired HIV through unprotected sex in homosexual relationships. We highlight the high percentage of young people with detectable viral loads and deaths due to complications of AIDS.