HTLV in primary health care: knowledge, attitudes, and practices of prenatal professionals in Augusto Corrêa, Northern Brazil

Abstract

The persistence of infections such as the Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus (HTLV), a retrovirus associated with Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (ATLL) and Tropical Spastic Paraparesis (TSP), highlights the urgency of surveillance and control of vertical transmission, primarily through breastfeeding. This crosssectional and descriptive study evaluated the level of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) of 38 Primary Health Care (PHC) professionals in Augusto Corrêa, Pará, regarding HTLV in the context of prenatal care. The findings revealed significant gaps in knowledge and practices. Although 68.4% of the participants recognized breastfeeding as the main route of vertical transmission, a substantial portion demonstrated uncertainty about the absence of validated antiretroviral therapy (ART) for prevention during pregnancy (28.9% responded "I don't know") and about the status of screening within the Unified Health System (SUS) (42.1% responded "I don't know"). Regarding practices, 55.3% of the professionals had never requested the HTLV test for pregnant women. Furthermore, 63.2% reported never having received training on the management of patients with HTLV. The self-assessment demonstrated strong agreement with the importance of screening (94.7% agreed/strongly agreed), contrasting with the perceived insufficient preparedness of the team and the structural inadequacy of the Basic Health Unit (UBS) (approximately 50% expressed disagreement/strong disagreement in these categories).