HOMELESS POPULATION: SELF-CARE, ADHERENCE AND CONTINUITY OF HIV/AIDS TREATMENT (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Introduction: The HIV virus is the disease that most affects people living on the streets, and it is the infection that is constantly growing and instigating studies within this group. Because they are infected with this virus, a large proportion of them find it difficult to undergo treatment, whether because of their age, sexual orientation, race, unprotected sex, violence or even misinformation. What is the greatest difficulty for a health worker in taking care of this patient? Clearing up doubts? Reasons for not being aware of treatment and having an undetectable virus? The vulnerability of a population that has no prospect of improvement. In order to understand the challenges and thoughts of these people, we will try to understand them better. Objective: To understand how people living on the streets carry out self-care and treatment for HIV/AIDS. Methodology: This is a descriptive literature review based on material published between 2012 and 2022. To select the texts, an online search was carried out in the VHL (Virtual Health Library) and SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online) databases. We considered 09 publications that met the study's theme, published in full, with full texts available, in the Portuguese language. The keywords investigated were: HIV/AIDS; Antiretroviral; Homeless population; Self-care; Nursing; Adherence to treatment. Results: In order to present the results on nursing care for homeless people with HIV/AIDS, we used some factors that show that these people have great difficulty accepting their condition, carrying out self-care, changing their view of unprotected sex and sex with more than one partner, many end up drinking alcohol with the antiretroviral, making it less effective, and because it is a street population, those who suffer most from the virus are: women, homosexuals and children who end up acquiring the virus either through violence or survival. In this way, we can see that well-performed and welcoming nursing care raises awareness that everyone has the same right to treatment. Final considerations: It can be concluded that the nurse's approach to HIV/AIDS patients, in which they can clarify all the difficulties they face in their daily lives, with respect, ethics and valuing the person with their knowledge and skills that are within their knowledge, leads to more effective care and fewer treatment dropouts.