Risk perception and counselling among HIV-positive women in Sao Paulo, Brazil

This study of HIV-positive women at a clinic fur HIV/AIDS in Sao Paulo exam ined their risk perception for HTV before they had learned of their diagnos is and their experiences with pre- and post-test counselling. A sample of 1 48 women was interviewed regarding demographics, HIV risk factors and risk perception, pre- and post-test counselling, and sexual and reproductive con duct. The majority (77%) had been infected by their partners-37% by an inje cting drug user partner. Moro than half (53%) did not perceive themselves a t risk before learning of their HIV status and, of 68 who had perceived the mselves at risk, 29% did so only after their partners became ill. The major ity (64%) did not receive any kind of pre-test counselling. Post-test couns elling was reported by 83% but 14% reported being mishandled by a physician in the process. Findings suggest the importance of prevention efforts to r educe women's barriers to learning about HIV status and the necessity of im proving the quality of pre- and post-test counselling.