|  | Conditions Treatments | HIV AIDS

HIV in Brazil

HIV is a global epidemic and affects 730,000 people in Brazil, according to Avert, an international AIDS charity. The Brazilian government encourages open and honest conversation about HIV and AIDS and encourages all citizens to be tested and prevent infection.

  1. History

    • The first case of HIV infection was recorded in 1982. A small number of cases were recorded in the following years. After democracy was restored to Brazil in 1985, the government created the National AIDS Program (NAP) with civil society groups. NAP focuses on distributing accurate information to the public about risk and prevention of HIV infection.

    Trends

    • In the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, the majority of recorded cases were homosexual men. However, since 1993 more cases have been caused by heterosexual transmission than homosexual, according to Avert. In the beginning, an estimated 25 percent of cases were caused by intravenous drug use, Avert reports. Today, only about 7 percent of cases are caused by blood transfusion and drug use while the remaining 93 percent is sexually transmitted, according to Avert.

    Testing

    • The Brazilian government encourages people to test in order to prevent the spread of infection to others. Testing is readily available at hospitals and other public health facilities. Along with testing, facilities also offer counseling, advice and support during the testing and diagnosis process. The government uses media campaigns to promote universal HIV testing with the slogan "Fique Sabendo," which means, "Be in the know."

HIV AIDS - Related Articles