A new initiative launched by UNAIDS in Brazil uses the popularity of funk music among young people to promote HIV prevention. Called Cover It (Proibidão Protegidão in Brazilian Portuguese), the campaign uses colourful illustrations with messages about condom use and other HIV prevention methods that are displayed when a selected group of songs play on Spotify.  

The campaign was designed to reach young people, especially Gen Z, directly through their media consumption channels. Young people are both the prime listeners of Brazilian funk music as well as one of the groups most affected by HIV. According to the Brazilian Ministry of Health, young people aged between 15 to 29 accounted for 49% of all new HIV diagnosis in the country in 2024.  

These data are consistent with the results of a survey conducted by the Brazilian Statistic Institute in 2024, which showed that in Brazil the percentage of young people under the age of 18 who reported using condoms during sexual intercourse dropped from 73% in 2009 to 57% in 2024. 

Innovation in format: from entertainment to prevention 

The campaign uses Spotify Canvas—a tool featuring eight-second looping videos that accompany track playback—as a novel media space. Hits by artists such as MC Livinho, MC Mari, and MC Pikachu had their original visuals replaced with animations promoting condom use. Combined, these tracks reach approximately 300 million views on the platform, significantly increasing the potential to reach adolescents and young people. 

The choice of funk as an awareness platform reflects the genre’s massive reach among Gen Z. By occupying the visual space of “proibidão funk” (forbidden funk) tracks, UNAIDS introduces protection into a context where sexuality is already openly discussed, but access to information that promotes autonomy and informed prevention choices is often overlooked.  

“Adapting language and promoting HIV prevention communication based on autonomy and choice is part of the necessary shift toward an equitable HIV response that meets the specific needs of different groups—especially young people, who continue to be the most affected by new HIV infections,” says Thainá Kedzierski, UNAIDS Brazil Communication and Advocacy Officer. 

Some of the tracks featured in the campaign include “Flauta,” by MC Mari, “Lá no Meu Barraco,” by MC Pikachu and “Fazer Falta,” by MC Livinho. You can access the UNAIDS Brazil Spotify playlist here with the full list of songs and artists participating in the initiative. 

In Brazil,the Unified Health System (SUS) offers a range of HIV prevention methods including free access to PrEP, PEP, male and female condoms, lubricants, HIV self-testing, as well as antiretroviral treatment for people living with HIV.