The HIV / AIDS Myth in Brazil

As you may have figured out by now, Brazil is my favorite vacation spot in the world.  Have I traveled the world yet you make ask? No, but I am well traveled as my passport stamps would reflect.  Time to get some new pages put in my passport as I am running out.  But anywho, what I find interesting is whenever I talk about Brazil as opposed to other countries to friends and  associates, one of the first things that they tell me is to be careful because the HIV / AIDS rates is crazy there.  I have heard this over and over and over again.  Time and time again I hear people talk about why Brazil is not a good place to visit because the HIV / AIDS rates are so high.  I find it very interested that Brazil is singled out in this fashion.  Now, of course HIV / AIDS is in fact a big problem in Brazil as you might expect, however, it is also a big problem in the United States as well.  In fact is HIV / AIDS is not a only a problem in the United States and Brazil, but it is a GLOBAL problem.  The continent of Africa is hit hardest by this pandemic, particular the Sub-Sarharian region of the continent.

According to my research, there are actually more people currently living with HIV / AIDS in the United than in Brazil.  Now of course one thing that needs to be mentioned is that the United States does have a higher population than Brazil.  I don't like to spit out a whole lot of numbers and statistic out as many studies have different outcomes as some studies are more recent than others, while other studies compile their data in different ways.  However, what I can do you give you some links to look start you off on your own research if you care to do so.  So all in all, Brazil MAY have a slightly higher percentage than the U.S. does, however, this is not the reason I believe people are quick to say that Brazil is an HIV / AIDS ridden country.

I hate to say this, but it is my belief that people are quick to put down Brazil in this fashion without doing any research is because we as Americans (and perhaps other countries) can be very arrogant and ethnocentric toward other countries outside of Europe and Israel.  We are also very quick to call other countries "third world", and when we travel abroad, we expect everyone to be able to speak English when most Americans can only speak English themselves.   We believe that America is "the developed and civilized world" and other countries are not.  It is this arrogant and ethnocentric attitude that many Americans have they keep us from having the Global relations with other countries that we could have.

I believe that is important to do some research on other countries before we blurt our negative and often untrue statements of other cultures.  Not just HIV / AIDS research, but just cultural research in general.  When we do this, I think that foreign relations would improve.   Thats my two cents.  If you agree, disagree, or somewhere in the middle, leave comments.  Thanks.

Articles to look at:

http://www.avert.org/aids-brazil.htm

http://www.avert.org/usa-statistics.htm

Big Ben