AIDS and HIV prevention among adolescents and young adults in six Brazilian municipalities

Abstract

The lack of a broader debate on HIV prevention and the resurgence of conservatism in recent years may have influenced the perceptions and practices of young people regarding HIV/AIDS. Semi-structured interviews with 194 young individuals, aged 16 to 24, in four state capitals and two small municipalities in Brazil revealed that they perceive AIDS as a “faceless disease,” making it impossible to identify people living with HIV. Conceptions about HIV oscillate between fear and the perception that it is treatable. The risk was seen as abstract, something that is not central to daily concerns, whose primary focus is preventing pregnancy. Condom use is viewed as a temporary prevention strategy, quickly replaced by trust in the sexual partnership. Available information technology appears unable to address the rise in conservatism and the lack of HIV prevention policies among young people. These policies should involve improving the provision of quality information tailored to the interests of young people, expanding the availability of various prevention resources, and bringing STIs and HIV back into the arena of discussions.