HIV has increasingly become an infection of poverty. Adequate HIV transmission knowledge among HIV-positive patients is necessary to reduce the risk of secondary infection and protect those who are uninfected from transmission. This study was conducted among individuals enrolled in a program that serves impoverished HIV patients in the Boston area. Although the mean HIV transmission knowledge score was 80% for this group, a significant proportion of patients demonstrated limitations in knowledge of HIV transmission. Highly vulnerable patients, such as those who reported not accessing HIV medications, a history of sexual abuse, or problems getting clothing, had lower levels of HIV knowledge. This paper hopes to alert providers that their most vulnerable patients may be at an increased risk of re-infection or transmission due to limited HIV knowledge. Programs that serve HIV-positive patients coping with poverty and other serious problems need to ensure adequate knowledge of HIV transmission to reduce the overall burden of HIV in resource-poor settings.

Con el objetivo de analizar los conocimientos de las personas que viven con el VIH/SIDA (PVVS) en la terapia antirretroviral (ART), se ha elaborado un estudio descriptivo de corte transversal, enfoque cuantitativo, en los servicios de asistencia especializada (SAE) de los municipios de Caruaru y Garanhuns-PE, Brasil. El estudio incluyó a 256 PVVS. Los datos fueron analizados mediante estadística descriptiva e inferencial. Se encontró que la mayoría de los entrevistados eran hombres; entre 30 y 49 años. Sólo 56 PVVS presentan escuela secundaria superior. Se observó que grupo de edad, religión, educación e ingresos familiares están significativamente asociados (p > 0.05) en el nivel de conocimiento acerca del ART. En cuanto a los conocimientos sobre la acción de medicamentos antiretrovirales, 27,7% no sabían o habían divulgado, erróneamente, que el medicamento actúa destruyendo el VIH. Con respecto a la indicación de la HAART, 82% respondió que está indicado para el control del virus. En cuanto a la duración del tratamiento, 12,5% informó que este dura hasta la normalidad en los resultados de la prueba. El conocimiento acerca de las precauciones con el uso de otras medicinas, 25% informó que puede hacer uso de las medicinas, sin tener en cuenta consejos médicos. Los efectos adversos gastrointestinales y psiquiátricos fueron los más conocidos (69.1% y

Objetivo: Analisar o conhecimento da equipe de enfermagem acerca das necessidades humanas básicas dos pacientes críticos internos na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva sob a luz da teoria das necessidades humanas básicas de Wanda de Aguiar Horta. Métodos: Estudo exploratório, descritivo, com abordagem quantitativa. Amostra de 100 profissionais de enfermagem em terapia intensiva adulto. Resultados: Predominância dos aspectos psicobiológico: cuidado corporal (11,7%), oxigenação e nutrição (11,6%); baixo predomínio dos aspectos psicossociais. A interação com a equipe multiprofissional (25,2%), iniciativa do profissional (19,50%) e disponibilidade de recursos humanos compatíveis (16,72%) favorecem a percepção das necessidades humanas básicas do paciente, enquanto o estresse (23,74%), quantitativo de paciente para um enfermeiro/técnico (22,57%) e a rotatividade da equipe (14,01%) dificultam. Conclusão: A equipe de enfermagem conhece as necessidades humanas básicas do paciente critico,centralizada nos aspectos psicobiológicos com distanciamento dos aspectos sociais e religiosos na pratica assistencial.

Diabetes is a widespread condition in South Africa and is often managed at primary level health facilities. This study aimed to assess the quality of diabetes management using a rapid assessment approach, focusing on three indicators as proxy measurements of quality: the regularity of blood glucose level (BGL) measurement; the percentage of patients whose BGLs were within 'acceptable' limits (under 10.0 mmol/l) on at least 75% of visits; the rate at which action was taken in response to high BGLs. Five sites were included in the study, including public and private, doctor- and nurse-based facilities. A total of 128 records were examined. Only 33% of all records were found to be well-managed according to the study criteria. None of the individual facilities were found to have more than 40% of patients achieving BGLs within the study limits. Some obstacles to good glycaemic control were costs to patients, transport problems, a lack of health education and shortcomings in clinical expertise. Policy implications and recommendations are suggested.

Background: The therapeutic itinerary is not limited to the identification and availability of health services offered, but relates to the different individual searches and sociocultural and economic possibilities of each patient. In this study, we discuss the therapeutic itinerary of transsexual people seeking healthcare, from the user’s perspective. Objective: The aim of this study was to discuss the therapeutic itinerary of transsexual people seeking healthcare, from the user’s perspective. Design and participants: Individual interviews were performed with 10 transsexuals at the Trans Space of a University Hospital of Pernambuco, using the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the theoretical reference and the Bardin’s thematic content analysis as the reference methodological framework. Ethical considerations: This study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee at the Federal University of Pernambuco under protocol no. 91284218.5.0000.5208. Findings: The comprehensive care for transsexual people was evidenced through four categories analyzed: low demand of transsexuals in health services; use of social name in health services; care permeated by prejudiced and discriminatory attitudes; and health system and professionals who are not able to meet transgender health issues. Discussion: Transsexual people are stigmatized and experience prejudice in their daily health, in a way they do not enjoy fundamental rights, as if they had fewer rights, or infringe the principle of universality of access to health. Thus, for effective and comprehensive care, the health team must keep up to date on the public policies existing in the healthcare of transsexual people and reconstruct what they understand by gender. Conclusion: Knowledge about the therapeutic itinerary of transgender people may support evaluation processes of health service networks to ensure the access to and reorganization of these services. Understanding this dynamic allows fostering discussions about the structure of health services at all care levels for the care of this population.