Speaking of Sex...

For a country considered among the most modern in Latin America, Chile's colonial roots are still impeding important social progress. In fact, the cultural taboo on sexuality is putting much of the country in serious risk.

Though President Michelle Bachelet, the first female Chilean president and former civilian military commander issued a decree mandating oral contraceptives to be available for free in all public clinics last September, the Supreme Court promptly declared the progress unconstitutional, despite its similarity to other presidential laws. Divorce, having only become legal in 2004, is still incredibly stigmatized and difficult to make official. And while Congress has guaranteed retroviral drugs to every HIV-positive individual through the universal health care system, only half of the 26,000 infected people have actually been offered treatment. Worse, attempts to promote condom use to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS has met criticism sufficient to keep condoms out of most schools (including universities) and non-medical public places. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that Chilean condom use is only 1/3 of what it should be; even less among young people, who are generally at higher risk for STI's.

It's not that the Chilean government is unaware of the risks of an unprotected public. The visa application process requires applicants to provide a health evaluation, including being screened for HIV/AIDS. The executive branch has partnered with international health programs like UNAIDS and the World Health Organization to create more than 50 local prevention campaigns. These efforts have been enough to halve the AIDS infection rates of most South American countries, but will ultimately fail unless coupled with a more comprehensive effort to reverse public opinion.

As with many former Spanish colonies, a huge percentage of Chileans are members of the Catholic church. As though this alone was not sufficient to stunt Chilean social liberty to the middle ages, the second largest religious denomination is the Church of Latter-Day Saints, notorious for their social conservatism. This, and the inclination for post-Pinochet Chile to fear social change, have silenced sexuality in a way comparable to America's 1950s. With no pelvis-wielding Elvis in sight, Bachelet must educate and command the huge Chilean bureaucracy to follow through with the progress-minded policies, regardless of the sensativity of the issue.