Codoms are a fantasy this week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

By Timothy Herrmann | February 21, 2012

We all know it as Fat Tuesday, Mardis Gras, or perhpas even Shrove Tuesday but in Brazil the Tuesday before Lent is the end of Carnaval, which began last Friday, and consists of a weekend long cultural festival devoted to samba lines, dancing, vacations at the beach, and for some, drunken debauchery often ending in unprotected sex. In response to the latter, the government of Rio has decided to embark on a campaign to preempt the impending wave of STD transmission that is currently sweeping over the world’s most well known beach based metropolis.

In addition to committing to the distribution of over 3,000,000 million free condoms to party goers, they have also come up with some catchy phrases (here they are translated, and also lost in translation) as means of promoting STD prevention:

“Use a Condom this Carnaval”

and

“not without a Condom”

or, my personal favorite

“Whatever your fantasy is, use the condom”

Clearly, the real fantasy, however, is the government’s condom strategy. When one’s first inclination is to combat the problems associated with promiscuous sexual behavior through condom promotion, especially in Catholic Brazil, it can’t be a good sign. In Brazil, the issue is discouraging the problem at its source, not waiting to combat the behavior’s very particular consequences.

The real problem with Carnaval is that it has become synonymous with promiscuity and alcoholism. It is known internationally as a weekend when the real world and its real consequences are placed on hold, at least until the reality of Lent begins on Wednesday. Sure, one can understand that condoms might be better than “nothing” but given that condoms only encourage promiscuous behavior, it might make more sense to take a second look at the benefits of less risky behavior, like monogamy or abstinence. After all, they are the only proven methods of STD prevention. But unfortunately, in today’s day and age, our only option seems to be the condom. What a sad social commentary.

In the end, the government in Rio has opted for fantasy this time around. Rather than encouraging people to take their actions more seriously, or to think about the significance of their life choices, it seems they would rather “throw up their hands” and release free condoms on the masses with barely even a sigh. But one can only wonder, what would happen if rather than giving up on people, governments actually gave them a proposal that affirmed their true potential rather than their tendency for self-destruction.

More articles here:

http://articles.cnn.com/2012-02-16/americas/world_americas_brazil-carnival-condoms_1_free-condoms-block-parties-revelers?_s=PM:AMERICAS

http://www.christianpost.com/news/abstinence-or-condoms-brazils-christians-debate-campaign-theme-for-carnivals-64812

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