Brazil's Indians under threat from AIDS
AIDS weekly plus 1996: 19-20
1996
PMID: 12320589 Document Number: 303657
The Brazilian government plans to launch an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) awareness campaign among indigenous tribes, according to Pedro Paulo Santana, of the Health Ministry AIDS department. The National Indian Foundation (Funai) estimates that 20 of the 320,000 Indians in Brazil have been infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is known as the "Disease of Manaus (the capital of Brazil)" among the Indians; it is considered by them to be a disease of the White man. However, because of the polygamous culture and sexual initiation ceremonies for adolescents of many tribes, the disease is a threat. Other Indians have been led into prostitution by "garimpeiros" (wildcat gold and diamond miners). A woman of the Tiriyo tribe in the northern state of Para may be spreading the disease among her people; the tribe numbers 380. Recorded cases of HIV or AIDS among the Indians appeared 3 years ago.