Fighting HIV — Lessons from Brazil

Abstract

In Brazil this past February, during the week before Carnaval, the pre-Lenten bacchanal of parades and street parties, citizens who ventured out to catch a bus, buy a beer, or mail a letter were likely to be reminded by their government to use condoms. Postal customers received condom brochures along with their stamps. Public health officials contracted with Coca-Cola distributors to deliver condom posters to bars along with the soft drink. In a television commercial on the country's most popular soap-opera network, a famous comedian riffed on strategies for remembering not to leave home without a condom. In the northeastern city of Recife, banners on buses proclaimed, “On or off the float, camisinha!” (literally, “little shirt,” the street term for condom). During one lunch hour in Recife's business district, a prostitutes' organization working with the local health department on prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection staged a pro-camisinha demonstration, passing out free condom samples to spectators.