EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS WITH AIDS IN THE STATE OF PARANÁ FROM 2020 TO 2023

Abstract

AIDS is still a serious public health problem and, when left untreated, severely damages the host's immune system, leaving them prone to other opportunistic diseases. Still, the number of new cases of adolescents and young adults carrying the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continues to increase in recent years. In this sense, early diagnosis becomes extremely important, as in addition to preventing more of the body's defense cells from being damaged, knowing your serological status helps the disease to spread less. In this context, the objective of this study was to identify the epidemiological profile of adolescents and young adults with AIDS in the state of Paraná, from 2020 to 2023, by consulting data made available by the Information Technology Department of the Unified Health System (Datasus) , in order to obtain information about which sex, age group, race/color, education and exposure category were most susceptible to acquiring the disease. The results found were 618 new notifications, of which 80.58% were men and in terms of age, 22.97% were 24 years old. The most prevalent mode of transmission was homosexual with 30.25% of cases. In terms of education, 35.94% had completed high school and, according to race, 35.76% were white. Therefore, it is necessary to create public health policies aimed at this population, so that effective actions for health promotion, prevention and recovery are adopted.