Attitudes Toward Unsafe Sexual Practices Among Low-Income Males in Brazil

Fatima Juarez, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Tais De Freitas Santos, Fundação Joaquim Nabuco

In Brazil, the level of sexual activity before marriage is relatively high and increasing. However, premarital sexual activity has not been accompanied by adoption of safe sexual practices to avoid unwanted pregnancies and STD/AIDS. Our project was conceived as a response to the lack of knowledge on sexual behavior and to explore the socio-psychological determinants of unsafe sex among young people in shanty towns of Brazil. A survey especially designed to investigate these issues was conducted among single males aged 13-19 years in selected low-income areas of Recife (N = 1438). This paper presents the factors involved in sexual risk taking, considering a dyad approach, and identifies determinants of unsafe practices that can be effectively addressed in intervention programs. Findings provide a basis to improve strategies to reduce risks to reproductive health of unwanted pregnancies and STDs/AIDS among teenagers.