HIV prevention among gay and other men who have sex with men: public policy and social movements in Brazil, 1983-2019

Abstract

This article revisits the history of HIV prevention for gay and other men who have sex with men in relation to public health policy and the role of LGBT and AIDS-related social movements in Brazil. An interpretive study was undertaken informed by philosophical and phenomenological hermeneutics. It included interviews with policymakers, researchers and activists involved in HIV and AIDS, especially HIV prevention among gay and other men who have sex with men. Prevention initiatives were analysed with a focus on the social and programmatic aspects of vulnerability to HIV, and advances and setbacks in the Brazilian response to the epidemic. The recent crisis in HIV prevention triggered by a growing conservatism in Brazilian politics and the current government’s LGBT-phobia pose barriers that compromise issues of profound importance with regards to policy on HIV and AIDS: namely, engagement with human rights and social participation.

Keywords:

• HIV
• public health policy
• health inequalities
• homophobia
• Brazil

Acknowledgements

We thank study participants for their involvement and materials provided.

Disclosure statement

No conflict of interest was provided by the author(s).

Notes

1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMV7iw6rs10

2 Travesti is an emic term related to, but distinct from, transgender woman (see Kulick 1998).

3 See, for example, GIV (Grupo de Incentivo à Vida [Group for Encouragement of Life]) website: “SOS: Governo Dilma coloca controle social da Aids em risco” [SOS: Dilma government puts social control of AIDS at risk]. March 31, 2012. http://www.giv.org.br/Not%C3%ADcias/noticia.php?codigo=2398

4 As of June 3, 2019, as reported on the Vi o mundo [I see the world] website. https://www.viomundo.com.br/blogdasaude/fim-do-departamento-de-hiv-aids-do-ministerio-da-saude-o-que-se-sabe-ate-agora.html

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the São Paulo State Research Foundation (FAPESP).