HAND IN HAND WITH THE GRAPPA: AN EXPERIENCE REPORT

Health promotion consists of actions aimed at preventing the exposure of the population to determine risk factors for disease, encouraging the adoption of more effective self-care behavior. The university extension is the application of technical and scientific knowledge acquired at school and the results of scientific research being used to meet the needs of a society by interventions that affect favorably the routine life of a group of individuals. The Support Group for Prevention and AIDS carriers - Grappa, conducts various activities and projects in order to raise awareness for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, as well as support the HIV carriers and patients diagnosed with AIDS. The "Holding Hands with Grappa" embraced the projects and Grappa's actions, performing health actions at individual and collective level, including the promotion and protection of sexual health, focusing on prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV / AIDS, and diseases, early diagnosis of these diseases, treatment, rehabilitation, harm reduction and health maintenance. The increased contact with patients made desmistificássemos some prejudices and helped in promoting awareness regarding the importance of the inclusion of carriers of the AIDS virus in the social ties by encouraging the practice of a healthy lifestyle in order to reduce factors risk of transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and improving quality of life.