- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro accused the World Health Organization (WHO) of encouraging children masturbating in a bizarre Facebook post he later deleted.
- In the attack, Bolsonaro sought to discredit the WHO amid criticism of Brazil’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- The post came a day after he shrugged off Brazil’s death toll passing 5,000, with 474 deaths in a single day.
- Although Bolsonaro’s post had no direct source it looks to have been triggered by a 2010 guide titled “Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe” published by WHO’s European office and Germany’s Federal Center for Health Education.
- Business Insider took a look at the guide. It does not advise people to encourage masturbation or homosexuality.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
On Wednesday, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro accused the World Health Organization (WHO) of encouraging children masturbating and otherwise sexualizing young children in a Facebook post that was later deleted.
“This is the World Health Organization, whose advice on coronavirus some people want me to follow,” he wrote on Facebook, according to the South China Morning Post.
“Should we follow their education policy guidelines, too? For children zero to four years old: satisfaction and pleasure when touching their bodies, masturbation … For children four to six years old: a positive gender identity … masturbation in early childhood, same-sex relations … Nine to 12 years old: first sexual experience,” he wrote.
The Facebook post came a day after he shrugged off concerns that Brazil’s COVID-19 death count had hit 5,000, with 474 deaths in a day. He told reporters: “So what? I mourn [the deaths], what do you want me to do?”
As of May 1, Brazil has the tenth most COVID-19 cases in the world, with 85,380 confirmed cases and 5,901 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Bolsonaro's Facebook post had no direct source. However, it seems to have been triggered by a 2010 guide titled "Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe" published jointly by WHO's European office and Germany's Federal Center for Health Education.
Business Insider took a look at the guide, which says it was written as a response to a growing "need for sexuality education standards."
It outlines how young children learn about their bodies, explains their curiosity about sexuality, and says that children touching themselves is normal.
The guide is explanatory and does not encourage masturbation or homosexuality.
Bolsonaro's post came after repeated criticisms of how he has been handling the coronavirus pandemic in Brazil, a country of 210 million people.
He's downplayed the coronavirus by ignoring social distancing, attending pro-congress rallies, hugging his fans, and calling it a "little flu." He has repeatedly said Brazil's priority is the economy.
He supported the use of hydroxychloroquine while that was being energetically backed by President Donald Trump. And he fired his popular health minister in April who had been advising people in Brazil to take the coronavirus seriously.
