[Evaluation of quality of life among women with HIV/AIDS using HAT-QoL]

In order to evaluate quality of life among women with HIV/AIDS, the HIV-AIDS Quality of Life test (HAT-QoL) was administered as a specific tool for individuals infected with HIV. It consists of 42 questions and is divided into nine modules with questions on different aspects of the lives of persons with HIV/AIDS. The scale was subjected to reverse and pre-test translation. Its final form was applied to 73 women with HIV/AIDS. The results, following statistical analysis, indicated that the most negatively affected modules were: "Financial Concerns", "Concerns about Confidentiality", "Sexual Activity", and "Concerns with Health". These results were attributed to the fact that women demonstrated a significant socioeconomic disadvantage which (probably in addition to the infection itself) led to the negative impact on quality of life. It was concluded that the HAT-QoL scale was appropriate for the population of female HIV carriers in this study (despite having originated from a non-Brazilian culture), since application of the scale produced results similar to those found in international publications.