[Evaluation of the self-esteem of bearers of HIV/AIDS of Alfenas city, Minas Gerais, Brazil]. / Avaliação da auto-estima de portadores de HIV/AIDS do município de Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brasil.

This study aimed at identifying the socioeconomic characteristics and at evaluating the self-esteem of the adult users with positive serology anti-HIV and attacked by AIDS, assisted in the Centro de Testagem e Aconselhamento (CTA) of the Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is a study accomplished among April to August 2008 with the technique of semi-structured interview. The age group prevailed among 30-39 years (37.78%), feminine gender (53.3%), white color (48.9%), single (37.8%), low education level (42.2%), that they acquired the virus through sexual relationship (88.9%) and with medium score of self-esteem (62.2%). In relation to the relatives, 24.44% of the interviewees had at least a positive serum in the family. The epidemic identification profile of the bearers of HIV/AIDS in CTA of Alfenas it comes to evidence the need of larger social mobilization and of inter-sectorial integration in the implementation of actions that can act facing this grievance.