ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE AIDS PREVENTION IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT FOR HOMOSEXUALMEN *Dr. Eduardo Jorge Sant’Ana Honorato and Dr. Romeu Gomes Universidade do Estado do Amazonas Avenida Carvalho leal, 1777. 1º andar - Geppes – UEA. Cachoeirinha. Manaus – Amazonas. CEP 69056-001 ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to analyze aspects related to AIDS prevention in virtual homosexual male environments that focus on the exposition of the body. It was taken as a reference the idea that cyber-body is in cybersexuality, where the body of the other, virtualized, becomes only a place of visit, like a page on the Internet and sex between them is ideal. The methodological design used was of a qualitative nature, focusing both the analysis of the senses underlying ideas and their contextualization in the light of broader cultural meanings. Among the results we found, the following stand out: the desired masculine body formatted by defined muscles and absence of hairs; Perceived advantages of the internet in the search of the sexual partner and the use or not of the condom as a measure of protection against AIDS based on evaluations of the partner. It is concluded that it is important to make the virtual environment a space for problematization of ideas and experiences in favor of the realization of pleasure between people. Copyright © 2019, Eduardo Jorge Sant’Ana Honorato and Dr. Romeu Gomes. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. INTRODUCTION The issues of cyberculture are increasingly present both within the scope of the academy and in our social everyday life in general. Whether for recent social and political issues, or because of its relation to public health, the virtual environment is gaining more space in contemporary discussions. Today we have an area of action and intervention of the most varied sciences. We no longer debate about the virtual space without real, and now much less of real without virtual, since the boundaries between these fields have become less demarcated. In this sense, we understand the body in its transposition from the real to the virtual, in the form of a representative image. As Le Breton (LeBreton, 1999), points, following the virtual world, the cybercrime meetsthe cybersexuality, which becomes reference; the body of the other, virtualized, becomes only a place that can be visited, or in this case access. Although the virtual world is understood as part of the real (Carvalho, 1999), this cyberspace is not materialized, but dynamic where participants can "move" and create a new life, exploring this world of information (Campbell, 2000). *Corresponding author: Eduardo Jorge Sant’Ana Honorato Universidade do Estado do Amazonas Avenida Carvalho leal, 1777. 1º andar - Geppes – UEA. Cachoeirinha. Manaus – Amazonas. CEP 69056-001 It is not something tangible, but a non-physical space where its members have the possibility to move and create themselves exploring the opportunities offered by this new "world". The virtual, creates a world of simulation where sometimes the representation becomes more real than the world itself. For decades researchers have been focusing on online research methodologies, trying to recreate an environment that is closer to the real one to carry out theirresearches (Campbell, 2000; Lemos, 2003 & 2000; Bowers, 1992; Kiesler, 1994; Honorato, 199b; Rosso, 2005; Spears, 1992; Parks, 2002 and Fernebeck, 2004). Online research is not only real research that uses the network as a means of propagation, but rather research that understands this new sociabilizing universe, with its own rules and norms, and which must be followed to avoid biases (Campbell, 2004; Lemos, 2003& 2000; Bowers, 1992; Kiesler, 1994; Honorato, 1999b; Rosso, 2005; Spears, 1992; Parks, 2002 and Fernebeck, 2004). The rules range from norms of online etiquette to forms of dissemination of instruments, use of new technologies, adaptations of terms of consent and format of investigations. Among the studies that refer to the discussion on the search for sex on the Internet, there is the idea that this increases the risk of contamination by sexually transmitted diseases (Bull, 2001). However, it is verified that the need for more studies in relation to the theme (Bowen, 2004). Online research not only makes it possible to broaden ISSN: 2230-9926 International Journal of Development Research Vol. 09, Issue, 04, pp.26984-26989, April, 2019 Article History: Received 18 th January, 2019 Received in revised form 08 th February, 2019 Accepted 30 th March, 2019 Published online 29 th April, 2019 Available online at http://www.journalijdr.com Key Words: Male Body, Virtual Environment, Aids Prevention, Male Homosexuality. Citation: Eduardo Jorge Sant’ Ana Honorato and Dr. Romeu Gomes. 2019. “Aids prevention in a virtual environment for Homosexualmen”, International Journal of Development Research, 09, (04), 26984-26989. REVIEW ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS