The present study is a qualitative research which aimed to verify the adoption of preventive measures on the transmission of HIV in women aged 50 or over it, who live in poor communities and were followed by the Family Health Program in São Paulo, Brazil. Medical Anthropology has been adopted as a theoretical reference as well as the Discourse of the Collective Individual for data analysis. There have been 13 women interviewed and three discourses have been presented: prevention appreciation, invisibility of HIV/aids and the rejection of the use of condom. The analysis has shown that the group did not realize the risk of contamination through sexual intercourse due to trust in their partners' loyalty. The casual use of condoms was taken into consideration just out of curiosity. The preventive actions adopted need more scientific basis. The results point out the necessity of planning and implementation of interventions which are culturally based and directed to the studied segment.
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Women's health; Health of the elderly; Anthropology