AIDS RISK-TAKING BEHAVIOR DURING CARNIVAL IN SAO-PAULO, BRAZIL

Objective: The Brazilian Carnival is thought to be a time when the ris k of HIV infection is likely to be high. We therefore compared the ris k during Carnival to risk in the past month among male samba school pa rticipants in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Subjects and methods: A cross-section al study was conducted among 380 male samba school drummers randomly s ampled during rehearsal for the 1993 Carnival in Sao Paulo by means of a 20-min interviewer-administered questionnaire. The main outcome var iable was condom use with non-steady partners. Results: The sexual beh avior of 36.1% of subjects risked HIV infection, but only 9.7% of all subjects were at risk only during Carnival. Subjects with a sexual ris k of HIV differed from those without risk in substance use, attitudes towards condoms and expectations about Carnival; those who were at ris k only during Carnival did not differ from those who were at risk at o ther times. About half of the subjects had been given free condoms dur ing Carnival, although few of the men at risk had actually used them. Conclusions: Though more than a third of the drummers were at risk of HIV infection, only a small per cent were at risk only during Carnival . The level of sexual risk of HIV infection is probably better explain ed by factors in the men's daily lives, rather than through informatio n on risks taken during Carnival. These results raise questions concer ning the efficacy of universal condom distribution during Carnival, si nce about half of the men were given condoms but few of those at risk actually used them. A targeted distribution of condoms to populations with a high demonstrated risk may be more effective in preventing new HIV infection.