Distributing Condoms at the Brazilian Carnival

Imagine a festival so huge and elaborate that eighty percent of an entire country’s beer consumption takes place in the span of one week. No, it isn’t Mardi Gras we are talking about here. In Brazil, this weeklong event that virtually puts the country at a standstill for an entire week is called Carnival (or Carnaval in Portuguese) and it is full of food, drink, dancing and lots of sex. This festival is held forty days before Easter (much like the beginning of Lent for those Catholic readers out there) and is so named because many Christians stop eating meat (carnelevare is a term that means “to remove meat”) on specific days during Lent. Simply put, the Brazilian Carnival is an elaborate way to bid farewell to all those religiously “bad” things that will be given up during Lent.

Brazil calls itself “the best public party on earth.” During this week of debauchery, thousands of locals and tourists will line the streets and fill up all surrounding hotels. Meanwhile, parades will be held and floats will be topped off by women who are dressed in nothing more than delicately placed sequins and feathers. Both rich and poor dress up in masks and costumes while they dance in the streets. The anonymity afforded by such costumes coupled with the booze creates a sexy and sweaty atmosphere perfect for casual sexual encounters.

This is why health officials in Brazil have instigated an AIDS awareness campaign that has a goal of distributing 55 million condoms during this weeklong festival. Advertisements have already hit the airwaves to promote this new initiative. One such advertisement has a talking condom as its spokesperson and it alerts viewers (especially the younger crowd) to carry condoms at all times when attending the festivities.

Jose Temporao, Brazil’s Health Minister, stated that the focus of the 2010 campaign is to educate the youth that condoms need to be use for protection against unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. The slogan for this year’s campaign is “The condom. For love, passion or just sex. Always use it.” It sounds clear and to the point to me. In 2009, the Brazilian government distributed close to half a billion free condoms throughout the country. This comes to over two and a half condoms per Brazilian. As of yet, the Brazilian government has not published how many condoms they plan to distribute throughout the current year.