Representations of professionals working in primary healthcare about HIV/Aids

Abstract

Health promotion actions in primary healthcare centers are an essential tool to achieve HIV control in Brazil, and the participation of professionals is indispensable to guarantee the quality of these actions. The aim of this study is to understand the representations and practices of professionals who work in primary healthcare centers with HIV/AIDS patients. It is a qualitative study, based on the Social Representations Theory. Twelve healthcare professionals working in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, were requested to answer the following issue: "Tell me what you think about HIV infection/AIDS and about your work in this area."Content analysis was performed through structural analysis of narrative. Results show both permanence and changes in the social representations of the subjects, leading to acceptance of the importance of HIV/AIDS prevention in primary healthcare, although preventive actions have not been continuous and systematic. The representations of the professionals were related to certain groups of the population, such as patients with AIDS, which is a cureless and stigmatizing disease, and is related to behavior. In this study we also expose ideas based on professional knowledge concerning chronic aspect of the disease and the need of a specific prevention for HIV/AIDS. This study makes clear that the primary healthcare service needs constant adjustment in order to guarantee universal access and integrated care. In order to promote health and prevent diseases, it is essential to implement systematic actions, and to provide changes in professional training, as well as to arrange moments in which professionals could analyze their actions.