A cultura do idoso e sua influência no risco perante o HIV/Aids

Abstract

The increase in the number of cases of AIDS in the elderly has been the target of investigations. Culturally we does not usually associate with AIDS in the elderly population, because unfortunately for many these are seen as people without sex. Having as general objective to investigate how the culture of the elderly person have influences in the construction of the meaning of risk to the epidemic of HIV / AIDS. We used the theoretical and methodological reference the ethnography, proposed by Madeleine Leininger through etnonursing. We used as a guide for guiding data collection and analysis of the model of observation-participation-reflection, known as O-P-R model. Data were collected in Group Life which operates within the Center for Family Development (CEDEFAM) and is bound by the Executive Secretariat Regional III (SER III) and Pro-Rectory of extension of the Federal University of Ceara (UFC). We had as general population 48 elderly and the, where we draw their social and cultural profile through search in family records, of which 11 were called key informants and participated in the three thematic workshops held in October and November 2007. As a result of thematic workshops and profile drawned, data were divided into 4 sections: 1) Who are the elderly of the Group Life?; 2) What of the elderly Group Life know about HIV / AIDS; 3)The culture of the elderly and the construction of the meaning of gender / sexuality; 4) Self risk to the HIV / Aids. The data revealed that in the cultural questions regarding to sex, sexuality, religion and emotional relationships were cast in the kind of creation that they had what may become a factor difficult to the works of education and prevention of STD / AIDS, because still wrapped in myths and chastity. Their knowledge about the HIV / AIDS is still very restricted to the use of condoms, which does not say that they accept it or use it in their sexual relations. The elderly of the Group Life does not perceive themselves within the risk of infection for HIV / AIDS and this is due to the importance that they attach to risk, which can be detected as something that can happen to other, and it is very tied to the type of sexual relationships that they have. As we can see in the course of the study the culture influences in the construction of the meaning of risk to HIV, for the elderly searched the influences of the socio-cultural context make them do not perceive as a population vulnerable to the epidemic, and as such is more exposed to AIDS, since there is still a gap too large with respect to basic knowledge of transmission and prevention of HIV / AIDS.