BRAZIL: Prostitution Puts US and Brazil at Odds on AIDS Policy

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

BRAZIL: Prostitution Puts US and Brazil at Odds on AIDS Policy

New York Times (07.24.05) - Monday, July 25, 2005
Larry Rohter

In Brazil, Fio da Alma (Thread of the Soul) is one of about 30 groups that work with sex workers in a joint effort involving Da Vida (For Life), which distributes up to 1 million condoms a month as part of the government's AIDS prevention strategy. Until recently, it was one of several programs financed in part by the US Agency for International Development through 2008. However, Brazil elected to give up the $40 million in US support rather than comply with a Congressional demand that groups receiving US funds explicitly condemn prostitution.

Brazil and the Bush administration managed to find a middle ground over past differences over AIDS-related issues without violating their own principles. Brazil operates a needle and syringe exchange program for drug users, and it rejects the administration's ABC emphasis in fighting AIDS, which involves Abstinence, Being Faithful, and using Condoms. But over the prostitution issue, a compromise does not appear possible. Under Brazilian law, exchanging sex for money is neither a felony nor a misdemeanor but much like a traffic violation, though procurement is a crime.

"The law says that groups must oppose prostitution, and we will enforce that," said Dr. Mark Dybul, deputy coordinator and chief medical officer for the Bush administration's global AIDS initiative. "We believe that prostitution is a bad thing, both for HIV and for the individual. But we are opposed to the activity, not to the person."

Brazil has what is regarded as the developing world's most successful AIDS program. "We view prostitutes as. partners who are efficient and competent" in getting Brazilians to forgo risky sex, said Dr. Pedro Chequer, Brazil's AIDS program director. In 1990, Brazil and South Africa each had an adult HIV prevalence of slightly more than 1 percent. Today, Brazil's rate is half that, while some studies find 20 percent or more of South Africans of reproductive age have HIV/AIDS.
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