Publications by authors named "Maria Amelia de Sousa Mascena Veras"

Objective: To analyze factors associated with detectable HIV viremia among transgender women/transvestites (TWT) in five Brazilian capitals.

Methods: : This was a cross-sectional study using data from a sample of TWT with HIV-positive serology and detectable viral load (VL), between 2019 and 2021. The dependent and independent variables were, respectively: viral load measurement, socioeconomic/demographic characteristics; alcohol/drug use; and self-perceived mental health.

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This paper describes the results of the study I Want More! The Lives of Sex Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic, which is part of the EPIC community research program. The study analyzed the effects of the pandemic on the lives of cis, trans and travesti sex workers in nine Brazilian states and 11 cities throughout 2020 and 2021. This article focuses on the qualitative component of the study, which was based on semi-structured, remote and face-to-face interviews carried out with 43 sex workers, and its comparison with the quantitative component.

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Objective: To describe the prevalence, characteristics, and factors associated with sexual violence in transgender women and travestis (TGW) in Brazil.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in five Brazilian cities (Campo Grande, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Salvador, and São Paulo) between 2019 and 2021. Participants were recruited using the respondent-driven sampling (RDS) technique.

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Objective: To identify groups of transgender women and travestis (TGW) with specific patterns of gender-based discrimination (GBD) and analyze the factors associated with GBD.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with TGW recruited through respondent-driven sampling in five Brazilian cities (2019-2021). Latent class analysis was used to characterize GBD (low, medium, and high) using 14 observable variables.

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Objective: To estimate the prevalence of concomitant substance consumption and analyze associated risk factors in a non-probabilistic sample of the Brazilian population of transgender women and travestis.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with recruitment via respondent-driven sampling. The sample included transgender women and travestis residing in São Paulo, Porto Alegre, Salvador, Manaus, and Campo Grande, aged 18 years or older, between 2019 and 2021.

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Objective: To analyze the experiences of transgender women and travestis regarding the use of hormones for body changes without a medical prescription.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional, quantitative and qualitative study, using data from "TransOdara", which estimated the prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections in transgender women and travestis recruited through Respondent-Driven Sampling, between December 2019 and July 2021, in São Paulo, Campo Grande, Manaus, Porto Alegre, and Salvador, Brazil. The main outcome was: use of hormones without medical prescription and associated risk factors.

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Objective: To investigate the prior testing for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B (HBV), and hepatitis C (HCV) among transgender women and travestis (TGW) in five Brazilian cities and identify factors associated with each of these previous tests.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with the recruitment of TGW through respondent-driven sampling (TransOdara Study). The investigated outcome variable was prior testing for HIV, syphilis, HBV, and HCV in the last 12 months.

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Objective: To understand the narratives of transgender women and travestis (TGW) from four Brazilian cities regarding access to and use of health services.

Methods: Qualitative study carried out within the scope of the TransOdara project, cross-sectional multicenter mixed methods research conducted between 2019-2021. Fifty-two in-depth interviews with TGW in Manaus, Campo Grande, Porto Alegre and São Paulo were analyzed.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to determine the prevalence and contributing factors of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infections in transgender women and travestis across five Brazilian cities from 2019 to 2021.
  • - A total of 1,297 participants were analyzed, revealing CT prevalence at 11.5%, NG at 13.3%, and coinfection at 3.6%, with certain factors like sex work and injectable drug use significantly linked to higher infection rates.
  • - The findings highlight that transgender individuals, especially younger ones involved in sex work and illicit drug use, experience greater prevalence of sexually transmitted infections compared to the general population.
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Objective: To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with hepatitis A, B, and C in transgender women and travestis's networks, in 5 regions of Brazil.

Methods: This cross-sectional study includedtransgender women and travestis in five Brazilian capitals (Campo Grande, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Salvador, and São Paulo), between December/2019 and July/2021. All samples were subjected to detection of serological markers of hepatitis virus A (HAV), B (HBV), and C (HCV) infections through rapid tests and chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassays.

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Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among transgender women and travestis and to analyze factors associated with HIV infection in Brazil.

Methods: TransOdara was a cross-sectional study on sexually transmitted infections among transgender women and travestis in five Brazilian cities between 2019 and 2021. Self-identified transgender women and travestis aged ≥18 years were recruited using respondent-driven sampling, completed an interviewer-led questionnaire, and provided samples to detect HIV.

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Objective: The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of acquired syphilis and associated factors in a national survey.

Methods: TransOdara was a cross-sectional study comprising transgender women and travestis (TGW) in five major cities in Brazil during December of 2019 and July of 2021. The sample was recruited using the respondent-driven sampling (RDS) method.

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Objective: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) disproportionately affect transgender women and travestis (TGW), who often lack access to healthcare due to stigma and discrimination. We describe the approach and methodology of a study investigating the prevalence of syphilis, HIV, hepatitis A, B, and C, Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), and human papillomavirus (HPV) among TGW, as well as their knowledge and perceptions regarding syphilis, to better inform policies to curb STIs among this vulnerable population.

Methods: TransOdara was a multicentric, cross-sectional study conducted among TGW in five capital cities from major Brazilian regions between December 2019 and July 2021.

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Article Synopsis
  • Transgender women face high rates of both HIV and gender-based violence (GBV), which negatively impacts their health care and treatment outcomes.
  • A study conducted in Brazil assessed how lifetime experiences of GBV affected the retention of transgender women living with HIV in care and their ability to achieve viral suppression.
  • Results showed that a significant portion of participants experienced physical (62%) and sexual violence (45%), with lower rates of retention in care (58%) and viral suppression (35%) observed at follow-up, indicating a potential link between GBV and poorer health outcomes.
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Travestis and transgender women (TrTGW) constitute the groups with the highest HIV prevalence in the world, with higher probability of infection compared with the general population and lower adherence to prevention and treatment strategies than other vulnerable groups. Considering these challenges, this study describes the factors associated with the retention of TrTGW with HIV to the TransAmigas project. Participants were recruited from April 2018 to September 2019 in a public health service in São Paulo, Brazil.

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs), especially in low and middle-income countries, which had to face additional political, social, and economic challenges. We thus aimed to assess the prevalence of mental health outcomes and the associated factors in HCWs treating COVID-19 patients in one of the most affected regions in Brazil.

Methods: We used the Respondent-Driven Sampling method to assess the risks of COVID-19 infection and symptoms of mental disorders in nurses, nursing technicians, and physicians who worked on the frontline in the metropolitan region of Recife.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Researchers conducted 77 semi-structured interviews with various health workers across five major cities to gather insights about their experiences and challenges.
  • * Key findings reveal that healthcare workers felt unprepared for the pandemic, faced personal and professional risk overlaps, and experienced significant anxiety due to insufficient support and systemic issues in Brazil's health system.
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We aimed to analyze the factors associated with inconsistent condom use among men who have sex with men (MSM) and their commercial sexual partners in Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study with adult MSM who were recruited via respondent-driven sampling (RDS) in 12 Brazilian capitals in 2016. MSM answered a sociobehavioral questionnaire which included questions on their sexual behavior.

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Background: Surveillance efforts are essential to pandemic control, especially where the state is the primary health provider, such as Brazil. When public health testing guidelines limit molecular tests, there are reductions in detection efforts aimed at early recognition, isolation, and treatment of those infected with the virus. This study evaluates the effectiveness of surveillance policies to control the COVID-19 pandemic in São Paulo.

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Background: The SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) P.1 (Gamma variant) emerged in the Amazonas State, Brazil, in November 2020. The epidemiological consequences of its mutations have not been widely studied, despite detection of P.

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