Adão e Eva II Project – HIV, Hepatitis and other STI’s prevention and screening among hard-to-reach populations

Adão e Eva II project carries out prevention and HIV, Hepatitis and other STI’s screening, with rapid tests, among Sex Workers, Drug Users, Homeless People, Men who have Sex with other Men, but it’s also available for other populations like migrants. Thus, the project's general objective is to make available and actively promote rapid screening for HIV and other STI’s for the named target populations, in an anonymous, confidential and free manner, with pre and post counselling, ensuring adequate referral of individuals with a reactive result to health care, as well as their follow-up, promoting, at the same time, access and (personalized) transmission of information to these populations (adapted and specific) and access to preventive means.

The intervention among target populations is made through an outreach direct field work, using a mobile team, prioritizing interpersonal relationships and the activation of support networks, promoting HIV, HBV, HCV and other STI’s screening, among the populations and those around them. The Project ensures adequate/timely referral to healthcare, also guaranteeing access to adapted information and the availability of preventive means.

The main area of intervention is Coimbra region, but it also intervenes in the regions of Aveiro, Leiria and Viseu.

This project has started in 2014 and it’s co-financed by Direção-Geral da Saúde and its main area of intervention is Coimbra region, but it also. 

During 2023 the project carried out intervention with around 1300 individuals. Of these, 42% were sex workers, 38% men who have sex with men, 21% drug users and 17% homeless people. 

In 2023, 1346 screening sessions were carried out. 1329 tests were carried out for HIV, 1309 for syphilis, 938 for hepatitis C and 661 for hepatitis B. 25 HIV tests (1.9% of total tests), 16 syphilis tests (1.2%), 12 HCV tests (0.9%) and 3 HBV tests (0.25%) had reactive results. all people were referred to health services and were monitored based on their identified needs,

Of the people who underwent screening, 685 people were female, 644 male and 17 were transgender (14 MTF and 3 FTM). 73.6% of people are between 18 and 34 years old. Considering the country of origin, 61.6% of people are Portuguese, 25.2% Brazilian and 8.5% from Portuguese-speaking African countries.