Government has not yet launched a campaign against STIs at Carnival – 02/13/2023 – Health

On the eve of the official start of the revelry and with pre-Carnival celebrations already taking thousands to the streets across the country, the Ministry of Health has not yet launched its campaign to prevent STIs (sexually transmitted infections).

The last such action was taken in 2020, under the management of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), before the Covid pandemic, which officially suspended Carnival for two years.

Asked about the reasons why the campaign has not yet started, the ministry led by Nísia Trindade did not respond to the report. This Monday (13), the folder’s press office reported that the material will be on the air by the end of this week, on the Ministry of Health’s page.

In a note sent to Sheet last Tuesday (7), the folder stated that “the development of actions to prevent STIs, especially during the Carnival period, is a priority strategy for the Ministry of Health”. And he adds that, among the various prevention methods available, “the condom remains the safest and most effective form of protection against STIs”.

“These actions aim to encourage safe sexual behavior, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, based on the adoption of combined prevention strategies. for HIV, AIDS, syphilis and other STIs, as well as pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP and PEP) and regular testing”, says the note.

While there is no national coordination led by the Ministry of Health, city halls of cities that usually receive thousands of tourists at this time of year, such as Rio de Janeiro, Recife and São Paulo, are already taking action to make revelers aware of the risks of unprotected sex.

In São Paulo, last Wednesday (8), the Municipal Health Secretariat started the “Condom in Folia” campaign, with the distribution of condoms and sachets of lubricating gel in the main streets of the city.

“It is important that prevention supplies remain increasingly accessible to the population, to avoid barriers and contribute to the reduction of new infections”, says Cristina Abbate, STI/AIDS coordinator in the municipality.

The communication pieces inform about HPV, HIV, genital herpes, gonorrhea and hepatitis B and C, but the main concern of the authorities is with the spread of syphilis, the sexual infection with the highest number of notifications currently in the country.

Syphilis manifests itself in three stages: primary, secondary and tertiary. It is in the first two stages that the main symptoms are observed, such as wounds and skin eruptions, and in this stage the STI is more transmissible. After this phase, even untreated individuals can heal from the initial lesions, and the disease can remain dormant for months or years.

In the tertiary stage of syphilis, serious complications such as blindness, paralysis, brain disease and heart problems can arise, and the condition can even lead to death.

In the capital of São Paulo, cases of acquired syphilis increased from 16,351 in 2017 to 18,645 in 2021, the last year with data computed by the city hall.

For infectologist Alvaro Costa, from the STD/Aids Reference and Training Center in the state of São Paulo, awareness campaigns need to be carried out in advance.

“It’s a shame we don’t have a nationally unified campaign on prevention during the holidays, which are already happening. In São Paulo and Rio, for example, we have blocks since the first week of this month”, he says. “Information must arrive sooner, much earlier. We must show people that there is something to worry about, but that there is also a way to prevent it and make the most of the festivities.”

Rio and Recife

In Rio de Janeiro, syphilis numbers are also worrying — 2022 was the year with the most notifications of infections since 2012, when the state began to organize data on the disease. According to the Epidemiological Observatory of the Rio de Janeiro capital, there were 12,590 notifications of syphilis in the last year. In 2012, there were 1,028.

With a campaign entitled “Rio, Carnival of Prevention”, the Municipal Secretary of Health should carry out actions in the street blocks and in the sambadrome, with the distribution of condoms and informative material.

“In addition to raising awareness about the health risks posed by sexually transmitted infections, the initiative aims to minimize resistance to testing and the use of prevention methods”, informed the City Hall of Rio de Janeiro, in a note.

In Recife, reinforcement in communication about STIs is also foreseen. The Municipal Health Department says it will carry out awareness-raising actions on the importance of prevention and should distribute condoms, lubricating gel and informative material during the festivities.

It is also scheduled to carry out rapid tests for the detection of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B and C, in addition to offering access to pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis to face HIV infection.

In 2022, there was a 38% drop in syphilis confirmations in the Pernambuco capital, but there is a history of increases in the pre- and post-Carnival periods, from January to March. In 2019 and 2020, the last years of official parties before the Covid pandemic, 635 and 391 cases were confirmed, respectively, in the period alone.

Mpox

Additionally, there is concern about Mpox. During Carnival, the virus finds everything it needs to spread: friction.

Human-to-human transmission occurs mainly through contact with skin lesions of infected persons. It can also occur through contact with secretions on objects, fabrics and surfaces.

In São Paulo alone, 2,095 cases were confirmed from June to December 2022. None of the city halls consulted included the disease as a focus in their prevention campaign.