Making legal abortion available in Brazil: partnerships in practice.

This article describes the participation of feminist groups who work in the area of women's reproductive health and rights in campaigns for the provision of legal abortion in public hospitals in Brazil. Brazilian criminal law permits therapeutic abortion in cases where pregnancy is the result of rape or poses a serious risk to the life of the woman. Today, as a result of the combined efforts of feminists, health professionals and policymakers, more than 20 hospitals in Brazil are officially permitted to perform therapeutic abortions within the existing law. A model programme has also been developed to train service providers to do legal abortions, where the agreement of a hospital board can be obtained. This training has also improved care for illegally obtained, incomplete abortions in those hospitals but not in hospitals where doctors have not been trained. Problems with lack of access and concerns about the lack of public acceptance of abortion remain. Women not only need the right to abortion but also more services and health professionals who are trained to perform abortions across the whole country.

[Key aspects of sexual behavior and safer sex practice among men in the city of São Paulo]. / Alguns aspectos do comportamento sexual e prática de sexo seguro em homens do Município de São Paulo.

Heterosexual relations currently constitute the predominant route of HIV transmission to women in Brazil. Few studies have approached male sexual behavior taking women into account. This study included 597 men ages 21 to 50 in São Paulo city and explored several aspects pertaining to safer sex, such as sexual partners, knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)/AIDS, risk perception, and protective practices aimed at AIDS prevention. The results showed that, similar to other countries, the proportion of men who have sex with men is low (5%), that younger men adopt more protective behavior than older men regarding multiple partners and condom use, that knowledge of AIDS is widespread (but that there is still a lack of knowledge concerning STDs in general), and that although risk perception increases protective behavior, presumption of the partner's behavior influences this perception, placing men and women in a vulnerable situation.

Sexuality and reproductive health care in São Paulo, Brazil.

Gender inequalities influence the quality of reproductive health care in many ways. The lack of gender sensitivity in the provision of activities related to illness prevention and health care, as well as women's difficulties in controlling their own sexuality, are fundamental aspects of this problem. Two recent studies carried out in São Paulo, Brazil, examined factors associated with the use of methods to control fertility and to prevent STDs/AIDS. Both studies identified a strong resistance to extending the use of barrier methods among the female population, even though doing so is particularly important to help contain the spread of HIV/AIDS among women in this country. Findings include that gender-sensitive strategies must be developed to stimulate the process of behavior change. These strategies should be combined with holistic approaches to women's health care, so that prenatal and gynecological care, family planning, cervical cancer screening, and STDs/AIDS prevention are included within the same program.