Brazil: Free condoms for Carnival participants

Carnival festivities will start in a few days throughout the Americas including the world famous celebrations Rio de Janeiro. The global press has focused primarily on a seven-year-old girl being selected girl drum corps queen for one of Rio’s top samba groups. For instance, the following was CNN’s take on Julia Lira:

Whether one finds Lira’s actions reprehensible or not is up to you, yet the focus on this post is on the press. While they’ve targeted Lira in reports at times bordering on sensationalism, (i.e. the AP referring to Lira as the “Shirley Temple of samba”) a more important Carnival-related story has been largely overlooked. Brazil’s government will handout over several million free condoms at Carnival celebrations around the country as part of an AIDS prevention campaign:

A new television ad features a talking condom that loudly reminds young people to take him along when they go out to party.

Health Minister Jose Temporao said Saturday that this year's campaign is focusing on educating young women and young gay men to use protection.

The slogan is: "The condom. For love, passion or just sex. Always use it."

The free birth control distribution will be similar to those promoted by Brazilian health officials over the past two years and that have been opposed by Catholic Church officials.

It’s a pity that the press has put the condom giveaway on the back burner compared to the gyrations of a little girl. Anything for a buck, I guess.

Online Sources- Washington Post, CNN, Canadian Press, The Latin Americanist