Lilith
02-17-2004, 07:18 AM
(submitted by gekkogecko)
Oddly Enough - Reuters to My Yahoo!
BRASILIA, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil Monday began
handing out a record 10 million contraceptives to stop
the spread of AIDS (news - web sites) during Carnival
when casual sex rises.
With the pre-Lenten festival less than two weeks away,
the "nothing gets past a condom" campaign focuses on
the 14 million Brazilians, or 15 percent of those
sexually active, who don't believe condoms prevent the
spread of the HIV (news - web sites)/AIDS virus.
"Carnival is a time when there's a lot of contact,
you've got people wearing very few clothes, which ends
up stimulating more intense sexual relations," said
Health Minister Humberto Costa, as he handed out the
first condoms of the campaign aimed at middle class
and poor Brazilian men between 18 and 39.
The promotion of condoms in this year's Carnival has
upset Brazil's Catholic Church, which opposes the
distribution of contraceptives by the nation's highly
successful anti-AIDS program on the grounds that it
promotes promiscuity.
Brazil is the world's biggest Roman Catholic country
and the church has said Kama Sutra poses and condom
themes in floats in this year's Rio de Janeiro
Carnival parade, as promised by one Samba group, will
mean Brazil is "discredited in front of the world with
unacceptable scenes."
"We respect all religions' positions, our concern is
the health of the population," said Costa, after he
played a radio jingle "I'm the condom my love, you can
get into this without any sweat, use me and abuse me,
I'm the condom you can trust."
Keen to avoid any unnecessary confrontation with the
church the minister had earlier vetoed the initial
campaign's slogan "Put faith in the condom" proposed
by the ministry.
Oddly Enough - Reuters to My Yahoo!
BRASILIA, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil Monday began
handing out a record 10 million contraceptives to stop
the spread of AIDS (news - web sites) during Carnival
when casual sex rises.
With the pre-Lenten festival less than two weeks away,
the "nothing gets past a condom" campaign focuses on
the 14 million Brazilians, or 15 percent of those
sexually active, who don't believe condoms prevent the
spread of the HIV (news - web sites)/AIDS virus.
"Carnival is a time when there's a lot of contact,
you've got people wearing very few clothes, which ends
up stimulating more intense sexual relations," said
Health Minister Humberto Costa, as he handed out the
first condoms of the campaign aimed at middle class
and poor Brazilian men between 18 and 39.
The promotion of condoms in this year's Carnival has
upset Brazil's Catholic Church, which opposes the
distribution of contraceptives by the nation's highly
successful anti-AIDS program on the grounds that it
promotes promiscuity.
Brazil is the world's biggest Roman Catholic country
and the church has said Kama Sutra poses and condom
themes in floats in this year's Rio de Janeiro
Carnival parade, as promised by one Samba group, will
mean Brazil is "discredited in front of the world with
unacceptable scenes."
"We respect all religions' positions, our concern is
the health of the population," said Costa, after he
played a radio jingle "I'm the condom my love, you can
get into this without any sweat, use me and abuse me,
I'm the condom you can trust."
Keen to avoid any unnecessary confrontation with the
church the minister had earlier vetoed the initial
campaign's slogan "Put faith in the condom" proposed
by the ministry.