Sao Paulo: Brazilian health officials
handed out condoms to World Cup
fans in Sao Paulo on Friday and took
advantage of festivities in the city to
test people for HIV.
"We can't miss an opportunity like
this," said Ivone De Paula, Sao Paulo
state's coordinator for sexually
transmitted disease prevention. "The
fact that it's the Cup lightens the
mood a bit. People say 'Hey I'm
going to watch the game, I'm having
fun, why not get tested too?'"
The program, part of the UNAIDS
"Protect the Goal" HIV/AIDS
prevention program, provides rapid
HIV testing and counseling, as well
as free condoms and emergency
retroviral drugs. It is also being
offered in 11 other cities across Sao
Paulo state where visiting World Cup
teams are based.
De Paula expected the program to
conduct about 300 rapid HIV tests
outside Friday's Fan Fest, where a
giant screen displayed the Cameroon
vs Mexico match. Many were getting
tested for the first time ever, she
said.
"I had no idea this was going to be
here, I just came across it," said a
middle-aged man who asked not to
be identified. "I wouldn't know
where to get tested otherwise, so
this helps quite a lot."
Brazil usually conducts HIV and
AIDS prevention campaigns during
the Carnival holiday, including
widespread advertising and condom
distribution. Aggressive HIV/AIDS
treatment and prevention efforts in
the South American country have
been held up as a model for the
developing world for more than a
decade.
handed out condoms to World Cup
fans in Sao Paulo on Friday and took
advantage of festivities in the city to
test people for HIV.
"We can't miss an opportunity like
this," said Ivone De Paula, Sao Paulo
state's coordinator for sexually
transmitted disease prevention. "The
fact that it's the Cup lightens the
mood a bit. People say 'Hey I'm
going to watch the game, I'm having
fun, why not get tested too?'"
The program, part of the UNAIDS
"Protect the Goal" HIV/AIDS
prevention program, provides rapid
HIV testing and counseling, as well
as free condoms and emergency
retroviral drugs. It is also being
offered in 11 other cities across Sao
Paulo state where visiting World Cup
teams are based.
De Paula expected the program to
conduct about 300 rapid HIV tests
outside Friday's Fan Fest, where a
giant screen displayed the Cameroon
vs Mexico match. Many were getting
tested for the first time ever, she
said.
"I had no idea this was going to be
here, I just came across it," said a
middle-aged man who asked not to
be identified. "I wouldn't know
where to get tested otherwise, so
this helps quite a lot."
Brazil usually conducts HIV and
AIDS prevention campaigns during
the Carnival holiday, including
widespread advertising and condom
distribution. Aggressive HIV/AIDS
treatment and prevention efforts in
the South American country have
been held up as a model for the
developing world for more than a
decade.
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