This article explained why the Brazilian government refused a 40 million dollar grant for AID/HIV prevention in Brazil. The grant was coming from the United States and Brazil had already accepted 8 million dollars of that money. When the US discovered that it might be going to aid commercial sex programs they called a conference. The US offered an ultimatum stating that they would fund the money as long as Brazil ensured it wouldn't be given to any commercial sex industries. They didn't want to support 'prostitution' in Brazil.
In response, although some programs promote abstinence the majority support the use of condoms. Brazil officials stated that the commercial sex industry is amongst the biggest advocates of condom use and they will not refuse funds from them. Instead they refused the money from the United States and will increase government spending in the programs to make up for the lost funding.
From a personal perspective, sex is everywhere in Brazil. I actually learned that, second to South Africa, it had the highest populous of AIDS in the world. I learned that, according to the journal, that there were only 660,000 people infected as of 2005. That was a shock to me.
The article did refered to Brazil's openness about sex.
Brazil has been a "model" for combating HIV/AIDS with its "accepting, open" policies toward commercial sex workers, injection drug users, men who have sex with men and other "high-risk" groups
There are hookers working the streets at night, pornography stores on every back alley, and the exchange of needles in bathrooms. You see these things when you go to Brazil. I even lived in the small city. I am suprised to learned that they are doing things to combat the AIDS epidemic.
If Brazil went with this policy to only fund abstinence agencies then it would go against everything Brazil a big part of what Brazilians pride themselves on: that is their openess with sexuality.
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