The Ministry of Health in Brazil has discontinued an online campaign with the slogan “I’m happy being a prostitute.” The ads were part of a campaign for International Prostitute Day. The campaign encouraged sex workers not to be afraid to seek medical treatment.

The ads were posted on the ministry’s website and social media sites last weekend.  Critics said they promoted prostitution. The ads were part of a wider education program aimed at promoting safe sex and reducing the stigma against those who work in the sex trade.  Prostitution is legal in Brazil.

On Tuesday, Minister of Health Alexander Padilha dropped the campaign, saying that he thought the message was not appropriate for the ministry to send.  He said the slogan was being tested on the website and went forward without his authorization.  Speaking to Agencia Estado, Padilha said “For as long as I remain in office, an ad like that will not be part of our campaigns.”

Reuters reports evangelical members of Brazil’s congress were especially critical of the campaign. “We are fighting childhood prostitution and here comes a campaign encouraging it,” federal deputy Liliam Sá said in a recent congressional committee meeting.  Many poor children enter the trade at a young age.

The BBC reports that Brazil has been praised for its AIDS prevention programs, including the distribution of free condoms in the largely Roman Catholic country. Still, this is not the first time the Minsitry of Health has found itself in trouble over a promotional campaign.  Last year, a video for the carnival festivities, featuring a gay couple, was also pulled.

The current campaign entitled “Not ashamed of using a condom” will go forward without referring to happy prostitutes.  Another poster in the campaign carried the slogan “I cannot be seen without a condom, my love.”

According to the BBC, Brazil’s sex trade industry has grown in recent years.  The trend is expected to continue as the country prepares for a large influx of visitors.  Brazil will host the 2013 Confederations Cup, the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic games. CNN reports that in the city of Belo Horizonte, prostitutes are getting ready for the crowds by taking English lessons in order to communicate more effectively with their clients about prices and services.

The Food and Drug Administration says condoms can protect against HIV, the virus which causes AIDS.  They can also help protect against the spread of chlamydia, genital herpes, genital warts, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, and syphilis.