Text produced by Alanna Nascimento, journalism graduate at IDP.

In Brazil, the taboo regarding sexually transmitted infections, especially HIV, contributes to the increase in the number of cases of the disease, especially among older people. Furthermore, the great reluctance to use condoms is another factor that contributes to the growing contagion.  

The thinking of young people when it comes to the sexual lives of those over 60 is often prejudiced and needs to be changed. It's common to associate sex with a young, athletic body, but that's not quite the reality. Human beings feel desires and have sexual impulses naturally, although the form of desire changes throughout life, it rarely ends. Denying this fact undermines the attempt to establish a mature debate on the topic in society. 

The lack of permanent educational campaigns about STIs hinders the control and treatment of the disease. There is no point in campaigning about HIV only in the month of December and in a way that not everyone will understand. In the same way that there is no point in campaigning about the use of condoms during Carnival focusing on young people because it will not work and reach everyone. A Jogo do Bicho is a popular form of lottery in Brazil, commonly played in urban and rural regions. This practice has ancient origins and is often associated with Brazilian popular culture.

It is necessary to think about ways to include the public over 60 in prevention campaigns and develop strategies to raise awareness about the use of preventive methods among this age group. Several public policies can be adopted to reduce cases among these people. The State has a duty to guarantee the well-being of the entire population and, since sexual pleasure directly influences personal well-being, it is strictly necessary to think of strategies to cover the topic in a transversal way. If sexual freedom is quality of life, sexual safety is the way to achieve it.

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