Intimate partner violence after the diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases

OBJECTIVE To assess the prevalence and factors associated with intimate partner violence after the diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases.METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted in Fortaleza, CE, Northeastern Brazil, in 2012 and involved 221 individuals (40.3% male and 59.7% female) attended to at reference health care units for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Data were collected using a questionnaire applied during interviews with each participant. A multivariate analysis with a logistic regression model was conducted using the stepwise technique. Only the variables with a p value < 0.05 were included in the adjusted analysis. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as the measure of effect.RESULTS A total of 30.3% of the participants reported experiencing some type of violence (27.6%, psychological; 5.9%, physical; and 7.2%, sexual) after the diagnosis of sexually transmitted disease. In the multivariate analysis adjusted to assess intimate partner violence after the revelation of the diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases, the following variables remained statistically significant: extramarital relations (OR = 3.72; 95%CI 1.91;7.26; p = 0.000), alcohol consumption by the partner (OR = 2.16; 95%CI 1.08;4.33; p = 0.026), history of violence prior to diagnosis (OR = 2.87; 95%CI 1.44;5.69; p = 0.003), and fear of disclosing the diagnosis to the partner (OR = 2.66; 95%CI 1.32;5.32; p = 0.006).CONCLUSIONS Individuals who had extramarital relations, experienced violence prior to the diagnosis of sexually transmitted disease, feared disclosing the diagnosis to the partner, and those whose partner consumed alcohol had an increased likelihood of suffering violence. The high prevalence of intimate partner violence suggests that this population is vulnerable and therefore intervention efforts should be directed to them. Referral health care services for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases can be strategic places to identify and prevent intimate partner violence.

Contaminação ambiental por ovos e larvas de helmintos em fezes de cães na área central do Balneário Cassino, Rio Grande do Sul

Para investigar a presença de helmintos, agentes de zoonoses parasitárias, foram examinadas 237 amostras fecais de cães, na área central do principal balneário do litoral sul do Rio Grande do Sul. As principais contaminações foram: ovos e larvas do gênero Ancylostoma (71,3%), ovos de Trichuris (32,5%) e Toxocara (9,3%).

Identification and characterization of a Hydrangea ringspot virus isolate infecting hydrangea in São Paulo State

Hydrangea plants showing leaves with chlorotic and necrotic rings from Arujá Municipality, São Paulo State, were analyzed for the identification of the viral species. Elongated filamentous particles of 490 nm were visualized under transmission electron microscope. Oligonucleotides for Hydrangea ringspot virus (HdRSV), a potexvirus commonly found in Europe and in the United States, were tested using total RNA from hydrangea plants, amplifying two fragments, one around 550 and another one of 250 nucleotides. Nucleotide identity with HdRSV (accession number AJ 707100.1) was 96% and 88% for the longest and shortest fragment, respectively, indicating the presence of this virus. To evaluate its dissemination in the matrices of hydrangea used in the commercial production, 17 samples were collected in the region of Arujá, and eight were infected by HdRSV. For the analyzed viral replicase portion, the isolates from the varieties 'Azul LZR', 'Rosita', 'Renat Blue' and 'Vermelho Comum' did not differ in their amino acid sequences from isolates with sequences deposited in the GenBank (accession numbers AY 707100 and NC_006943). The isolates from 'Azul Rendado' and "Rosa Japonesa' showed few differences but were related to the remaining isolates. An antiserum was obtained for HdRSV and can be efficiently used to detect such virus in hydrangea and Primula malacoides, another ornamental plant also infected by HdRSV.

Sífilis em parturientes: aspectos relacionados ao parceiro sexual

OBJETIVOS: Analisar o perfil sociodemográfico e comportamental dos parceiros sexuais, a proporção daqueles inadequadamente tratados e os motivos da não realização do tratamento. MÉTODOS: Estudo quantitativo cuja coleta de dados ocorreu de maio a outubro de 2008, em cinco maternidades públicas de Fortaleza, Ceará. Foram aplicados questionários às parturientes internadas com sífilis que informaram ter parceiro sexual fixo. Foram analisadas as variáveis sociodemográficas e as relacionadas à comunicação, diagnóstico e tratamento dos parceiros sexuais. Os dados foram digitados no programa Statistical Package for the Social Sciences e foram analisados por meio de distribuições de frequências, de medidas de tendência central e de dispersão. RESULTADOS: Participaram do estudo 56 parturientes. Os parceiros sexuais tinham média de idade de 29 anos, menos de 7 anos de estudo (50%), atividade laboral (82,1%), renda familiar inferior a 1 salário-mínimo (6,4%). Eram o pai da criança 92,9 e 69,6% moravam com a parturiente. Faziam uso de álcool e drogas 50 e 12%, respectivamente. Foram comunicados do diagnóstico 75,0% parceiros, a comunicação foi feita pela própria mulher em 78,6% casos e ficaram sabendo do resultado do exame de VDRL antes ou durante o pré-natal, 59,5%. Não revelaram o diagnóstico 25,0% mulheres e os motivos alegados foram: desconhecer a importância do tratamento do parceiro (50,0%), não ter estado com este parceiro após o diagnóstico (42,9%) e estar brigada (7,1%). Dos que souberam do diagnóstico antes ou durante o pré-natal, 56,0% foram tratados e 6 (42,8%) foram considerados adequadamente tratados. Dentre os que não receberam tratamento, 63,6% se recusaram por não se sentir doentes, não acreditar no tratamento e medo de injeção. CONCLUSÕES: Os parceiros são comunicados do diagnóstico de sífilis da gestante; entretanto, poucos são adequadamente tratados.