Black Women and HIV: vulnerability determinants in highland region of Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

This quantitative study aimed at analyzing social, cultural and behavioral components related to HIV vulnerability from perception of black women who live on a specific region of Rio de Janeiro - the highland area. For that, 1,464 black women from different towns of this region were interviewed. The main components that influenced vulnerability of these women could be associated to some factors, like: poor schooling, poverty, and consequently a difficulty to access property and services, low rates of using condom appropriately and some gender perceptions that reinforce women's autonomy on protection decisions is very short.