Mental Illness and Sexual Disease Transmission. A Case Report

Abstract

Introduction

Published rates of HIV infection among psychiatric patients are 3.1% to 23.9%, at least eight times higher than general population. (Nebhinan et al., 2013)

Aims

Defects in judgment and insight in patients with psychosis is often associated with lot of anger and impulsiveness, risky behavior and lower treatment adherence. This often led to worsening of clinical status and prognosis. (Uruchurtu, 2013)

Methods

A 31-year-old man diagnosed with schizophrenia and HIV four years ago. At the beginning of last year, the patient was hospitalized in the Acute Psychiatry Hospital Unit because of decompensation. Two years after diagnosis of HIV, he stopped taking his medications and was arrested several times because misdemeanours. Furthermore, patient was highly sexually active in the form of unprotected sex with multiple partners, as he had no concept of his disease. In addition to this, he made a delusional interpretation about HIV (known as VIH in Spanish) as Immortal human life (Vida Immortal Humana). He was admitted in the hospital for a month and was treated with medications and psychotherapy, which led to good stabilization, and he gained insight of both of his illnesses. At the moment, one year after this episode, the patient is stable, taking both medications regularly and followed up by his psychiatrist in the Mental Health team.

Conclusion

It is of extreme importance that psychotic patients with HIV receive a good follow-up during life, as decompensation can affect the patients’ health and health of others, with the implicit consequences that it carries. (Uruchurtu, 2013)

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.