PIP: Attitudes toward population growth and family planning in Brazil were discussed from a historical perspective and reasons for the government's failure to institute an efective family planning program were examined. During the colonial period, Portugal encouraged population growth in order to exert firm control over Brazil's vast and sparsely populated regions. A large number of African slaves were introduced, and the country's expanding population became recially mixed. Following independence in 1822, Brazilian governments continued to stress the need to expand the population. European immigration was vigorously promoted in order to dilute the population's African ancestry. During the 1900s, population growth became increasingly identified with the nation's destiny. In the 1950s and 1960s, despite the continuing pronatalist attitudes of the government, Brazil's middle and upper classes began to practice family planning. By 1965, the fertility rate began to decline. Between 1970-78 the total fertility rate declined from 4.911-3.983; however, the rate among the poor remained high. In 1965, the medical profession established the Brazilian Society of Family Welfare (BEMFAM) to promote and provide family planning services, especially for the poor. The organization provides these services through the existing network of private and municipal health facilities and works in cooperation with many local and state governments. BEMFAM's goal is to promote individual and family well-being, and BEMFAM strongly believes that the national government should assume responsibility for providing these services to the Brazilian population. In 1974 the Brazilian government presented a statement at the World Population Conference in Bucharest that lead many to believe that government's attitude toward population growth had changed. The statement recognized the right of all couples to have the number of children they wanted and the responsibility of the government to ensure that the poor also had this right. Futhermore, in 1978, President Geisel expressed fear of the consequences of continued population growth, and the current president, Figueiredo, recently noted that progress in family planning was a prerequisite for the continued social and economic development of the country. Despite these public statements, the government faled to implement effective population policies. The government now provides limited family planning services through the exisiting network of private hospitals and clinics. These servies are provided in the context of the government's maternal and child health program. The program is understaffed and underfinanced. As a result, the family planning component is frequently ignored. The programs lack of support stems from the pronatalist views still held by many government officials. The program is also resisted by national level officials of the Catholic Church. Brazil's population was 119 million in 1980 and is expected to increase to 185 million by the year 2000. If raid population continues, Brazil will not attain its desired status as a major developed country in the near future.^ieng