February 19, 1996
Web posted at: 10:40 a.m EST (1540 GMT)
From Bureau Chief Marina Mirabella
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- Brazil's Carnival, an annual pre-Lenten spectacle called the world's biggest party, draws tens of thousands of tourists looking for a good time. (969K QuickTime movie)
While both visitors and Brazilians tend to disregard their inhibitions amid the rhythmic music, street dancing and alcohol, health officials are warning partiers to protect themselves against AIDS.
"In terms of sexuality, some groups of people do what they do only at Carnival time," says Alvaro Matida of the Rio Health Ministry.
Brazil has Latin America's highest number of AIDS cases -- about one million. In an aggressive anti-AIDS campaign, the government warns visitors about the risk, handing out both pamphlets and condoms to new arrivals. The campaign also includes television announcements that encourage Brazilians to practice safe sex.
Many of the Brazilians with the AIDS virus are poor. Women are at high risk, often unknowingly infected by their husbands. It's a moral double-standard, says Brazilian AIDS expert Jane Galvao. "It's easy for a man to have this kind of behavior in Brazil."
It's for that reason that attention to AIDS must be a year-round effort, AIDS experts say. Education and prevention must continue, even when the partying of Carnival ends.
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