The right to Aids prevention in times of policy reversals: religiosity and sexuality in Brazilian schools

Paiva, Vera; Antunes, Maria Cristina; Sanchez, Mauro Niskier

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Debates, The revisited right to Aids prevention in times of setback • Interface 24 • 2020 • https://doi.org/10.1590/Interface.180625 copy

The right to Aids prevention in times of policy reversals: religiosity and sexuality in Brazilian schools

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

This article discusses Aids prevention in Brazil in the midst of growing numbers of cases of the disease among young people. A study was conducted between 2013 and 2017 to explore the sexual behavior of high school students and their opinions regarding sexuality. The findings show that students have adopted the prevention discourse and that religiosity influences beliefs and values relating to sexual initiation, negatively affecting condom use from the onset of sexual activity. To ensure the right to prevention is upheld, it will be necessary to broaden public understanding about how religion as it is actually lived differs from religious politics. The effects of the reversion to moral discourses reminiscent of the military dictatorship and possible discontinuity of successful longstanding prevention programs targeting young people should be monitored. There is an urgent need to understand the dynamic between the old and new discourses that shape sexualization (often via social media) and access to “combination prevention” of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI)/Aids.

Aids; Prevention; Religion; Human rights; Sexuality

	Catholic (n=386)	Evangelical/ Protestant (n=339)	Other (n=61)	Without religion (n=133)	Total (n=919)	p
Young women aged between 15 and 19 years should delay the initiation of sexual activity until marriage.* Agree Disagree	64% 36%	84% 11%	54% 46%	42% 58%	68% 32%	.000
Young men aged between 15 and 19 years should delay the initiation of sexual activity until marriage.* Agree Disagree	62% 38%	82% 18%	51% 49%	37% 63%	65% 35%	.000
It’s acceptable to have sex with someone without love.* Agree Disagree	75% 25%	65% 35%	79% 21%	86% 14%	73% 27%	.001
You should have sexual relations only when you love the person.* Agree Disagree	63% 39%	76% 24%	62% 38%	47% 53%	65% 35%	.000
Love without fidelity can exist.* Agree Disagree	36% 64%	28% 72%	35% 65%	39% 61%	33% 67%	.000
What do you think about male masturbation.* Agree Disagree	69% 31%	49% 51%	71% 29%	80% 20%	63% 37%	.000
What do you think about female masturbation * Agree Disagree	68% 32%	45% 55%	67% 33%	81% 29%	61% 39%	.000
Should a woman have sexual relations with another woman? * Agree Disagree	58% 42%	29% 71%	59% 41%	82% 18%	51% 49%	.000
Should a man have sexual relations with another man?* Agree Disagree	51% 49%	24% 76%	53% 47%	69% 31%	43% 57%	.000

Variable	Crude OR		p	OR adjusted		p

	OR	95% CI		OR	95% IC
Religion			0.000
Catholic	1			1
Evangelical	0.64	0.47-0.85	0.003	0.68	0.49-0.96	0.018
Other	0.70	0.41-1.21	0.207	0.70	0.39-1.25	0.239
Without religion	1.81	1.18-2.76	0.006	1.70	1.09-2.66	0.019
Age	1.64	1.45-1.86	0.000	1.66	1.46-1.89	0.000
Agree that young people aged between 15 and 19 years should have access to condoms at school.	1.69	1.41-2.02	0.000	1.54	1.27-1.86	0.000
Agree that all forms of pleasure are acceptable when both agree.	1.42	1.20-1.69	0.000	1.25	1.04-1.51	0.016
Agree that love without sex can exist between a couple.	0.82	0.71-0.94	0.006	0.78	0.67-0.91	0.002
Race/Color			0.074
White	1
Brown	1.08	0.26-4.41	0.911
Black	0.76	0.18-3.09	0.706
Yellow	0.62	0.16-2.66	0.527
Indigenous	1.13	0.24-5.34	0.874
Agree that it is acceptable for men to have sex outside of marriage.	1.21	1.06-1.39	0.005

Variable	OR all variables		p	OR model variables		p

	OR	95% CI		OR	95% IC
Age of first sexual intercourse	1.64	1.45-1.86	0.000	1.40	1.22-1.60	0.000
Participation in religious activities	0.90	0.81-1.00	0.061	0.87	0.78-0.98	0.023
Agree that young people aged between 15 and 19 years should receive information about condoms at school	1.78	1.08-2.94	0.023	2.09	1.21-3.60	0.008
Agree that condoms increase sexual pleasure	1.22	0.97-1.53	0.080	1.37	1.06-1.76	0.014
Agree that it is acceptable for women to have sex outside of marriage.	1.19	0.97-1.47	0.089
Agree that love without fidelity can exist	0.86	0.72-1.02	0.091

Variable	OR all variables		p	OR model variables		p

	OR	95% CI		OR	95% IC
Age of first sexual intercourse	1.24	1.07-1.43	0.004	1.20	1.01-1.42	0.031
Condom use during first intercourse
No	1
Yes	2.82	1.65-4.81	0.000	3.09	1.63-5.84	0.001
Sex
Female	1			1
Male	2.18	1.30-3.66	0.003	3.84	2.07-7.15	0.000
Agree that condoms take the romance out of sex	0.55	0.43-0.71	0.000	0.54	0.41-0.71	0.000
Agree that young people aged between 15 and 19 years should have access to condoms at school	0.73	0.47-1.15	0.180
Agree that it is easy to get condoms	1.34	0.96-1.86	0.082
Agree that wanting to use a condom raises suspicion about sexual behavior	0.83	0.63-1.09	0.188
Agree that condoms are not reliable because the HIV can pass through them.	0.81	0.59-1.11	0.198

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[1] Authors’ contributions

Vera Paiva coordinated the research and its writing processes; Maria Cristina Antunes participated in the survey data collection and this article writing process; Mauro Sanchez participated in the survey data analysis and this article writing process.