Youth social dynamics in low-income urban communities in Brazil: spaces, leisure, and vulnerabilities to HIV

Given the incidence of HIV among youth in Brazil and the dismantling of educational policies on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) by the federal government (2019-2022), the lack of current national studies with heterosexual youth on these topics is worrisome. To expand this knowledge, we conducted a socioanthropological study in spaces of sociability and leisure for heterosexual youth in low-income communities in five Brazilian cities. According to our collected field observations and reports, leisure and sociability take place in the communities (dances, parties), given that economic and symbolic barriers limit circulation to other places in the city. In these spaces, most young people establish meetings, have affective and sexual interactions, and use alcohol and other drugs, generally with people from the territory, while digital interactions take on a secondary role. In the five communities, no campaigns and educational actions were identified on access to means of protection against STI/HIV, HIV testing, and AIDS care. The findings, together with data on the views and practices of these young people regarding STI/HIV, can contribute to the formulation of interventions aimed at SRH, within and outside the contexts of sociability, adapted to the sociocultural and economic reality of the youth segments.