The Super-Prevention Sisters: promoting safe-sex at Brazil's Carnival
by Emma Arnold
Emma is one of our international volunteers working with our partners GTP+
They are an organisation who work to prevent the spread of HIV,
AIDS, and sexually-transmitted infections.
It’s 7am on a baking hot Saturday morning in February.
You’re standing in a vibrating crowd of over 1 million fancy-dressed people – all focused around a bizarre, 27 metre high rooster.
Brass bands blare out their horns and trumpets to up-tempo tunes, and everyone jumps and wiggles to the infectious rhythms. The drink has already begun to flow and hoots of laughter blend into the cacophony of music giving a sense of heightened anticipation.
There’s not much space to move, but there is magic in the air.
It’s Carnival time in Recife. You’re at the biggest bloco and THE biggest street party in the world… and this is only the beginning.
An aerial view of the Carnival at Recife
© International Service
Amongst the sea of people you spot Spiderman kissing Wonder Woman, Fidel Castro hugging Osama Bin Laden, and a perfect replica of the Flintstone family. A 70 year old man dressed as a cowboy is propping a small child in a fairy outfit on his shoulders. She is waving her sparkly magic wand to a troupe of half-naked American-style cheerleaders, and the glitter is flying off in all directions.
Carnival has no age limit, no reservations and no dress code.
It’s a time to feel free and anything goes.
Just as you’re wondering how to get out of the mass of people and catch your breath, you see three fluorescent-wigged girls making their way through the crowd shouting in high-pitched voices and catching everyone’s attention.
It’s the Super-Prevention STD Sisters!
From the Theatre Project of GTP+ they have come to spread the
word on safe sex and HIV-prevention.
As they hand out condoms, Silvia, Tania and Davilha (STD) use comedy-theatre to pass on messages about preventing HIV and STDs.
Soon a crowd of people is asking for condoms, taking photos, laughing and asking questions about safe-sex. The STD Sisters will go on to reach over 5000 people and distribute over 10,000 condoms and sexual health information during Carnival week. Doing activities like this at Carnival is extremely gratifying - we always receive a positive response from the crowd.
The Super-Prevention Sisters distribute sexual health advice
© International ServiceMarcos França, Co-ordinator of the Theatre Group at GTP+, says:
“The number of girls between the ages of 13 and 19 who are being contaminated by HIV has increased drastically in Brazil in the last few years - and has now surpassed the number of boys in this age group. Because of this, we decided to create the 3 Super-Prevention Sisters to make our work more approachable to young girls.”
It is estimated that 630,000 people are living with HIV in Brazil - with 13,103 cases reported in the State of Pernambuco.
Marcos says:
“Carnival is the largest street event in the world with Brazilians and foreign tourists all looking for a good time. There is a lot of drinking and sexual energy around this time, and HIV prevention is crucial. We need to be creative in how we deliver our messages, and theatre is extremely useful for this.
It doesn’t matter what age you are, what colour you are, what level of education you have, or what sex you are - anyone can understand our message. Comedy is one of the most powerful tools for this.”