Perceptions of nurses regarding the absence of adolescents living with HIV in primary health care

ABSTRACT Objective to describe nurses’ perceptions regarding the absence of adolescents living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus in primary health care. Method qualitative research carried out with five nurses working in Basic Health Units in a Municipality of Alagoas, Brazil. Interviews were carried out, subjected to category thematic content analysis and interpreted from the perspective of health promotion. Results the emerging categories indicate that the absence of these adolescents is anchored in the lack of knowledge about the severity of the disease, the presence of a feeling of shame and fear of having their diagnosis revealed by professionals to the community and their parents, as well as neglect of their health, starting from the conception of its distance from death, as well as its proximity. Final considerations and implications for practice there is a need for powerful actions, using different means of communication, to promote behavioral changes in adolescents diagnosed with Human Immunodeficiency Virus.