Sexuality and STD/AIDS prevention in mental health care: the views and practices of mental health professionals in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Despite major strides in the Psychiatric Reform and high HIV rates among users of mental health services, there is a lack of prevention policies for this population. The gap is further aggravated by mental health professionals' difficulty in approaching the sexuality of mental health care users. The article analyzes the perceptions and practices of mental health professionals concerning these issues in three service models in the Network of Psychosocial Care (RAPS) in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Eight focus groups were held with mental health care teams from a public university institution in a Center for Psychosocial Care III (CAPS III) and a Street Outreach Service. A total of 61 health professionals participated (40 women and 21 men), mostly 20 to 40 years of age, both residents and professionals from various health fields. The health professionals identified greater vulnerability of users of mental health care services to situations of sexual violence, and not only to STD/AIDS. They emphasized the importance of addressing sexuality and STD/AIDS prevention; however, these issues do not appear in the team discussions and rarely surface in daily patient care due to their lack of training and knowledge, as well as to the absence of institutional guidelines. The health professionals admitted their difficulties and highlighted the importance of establishing spaces for exchange of experiences in the services. The findings point to the need to incorporate sexuality and STD/AIDS prevention in the institutional dynamics and training of mental health professionals. Despite mental health deinstitutionalization and strides in the AIDS field, in addition to the supply of comprehensive humanized care, such themes have still not been incorporated into the debates in the RAPS. The article concludes with recommendations to help improve the quality of mental health care.