0:00:02 > 0:00:06This programme contains some strong language.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09It's World Cup year and the whole of South America will be celebrating.
0:00:09 > 0:00:10Saude.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12I'm Billie JD Porter...
0:00:12 > 0:00:13ALL: Hi!
0:00:13 > 0:00:16..and in this series I'm going to three countries
0:00:16 > 0:00:19across this spectacular and rapidly changing continent,
0:00:19 > 0:00:23lifting the lid on young people's passions, dreams and obstacles.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25GUNSHOTS
0:00:25 > 0:00:28South America has some famously sensual cities.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32Tonight I'm in Argentina to find out how the desire for freedom is
0:00:32 > 0:00:34shaping sex in the city for young people here.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Springtime in Buenos Aires and the streets are alive
0:00:53 > 0:00:54with passion and energy.
0:00:56 > 0:00:57I'm here with ten days to go
0:00:57 > 0:01:00until the Dia de La Primavera or Spring Break,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03where people here party like crazy.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07The nightlife is buzzing with sexuality - from the dating...
0:01:13 > 0:01:15..to the music...
0:01:17 > 0:01:18..and the parties.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23But this is a country of contradictions,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25where sexual freedoms run up against
0:01:25 > 0:01:29the power of the Catholic Church which frowns on contraception
0:01:29 > 0:01:33and supports the government's criminalisation of abortion.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42Add to this a turbulent past
0:01:42 > 0:01:45in a country where young people are caught in a tug of war
0:01:45 > 0:01:48between traditional values and modern freedoms
0:01:48 > 0:01:50and you get a potent mix I'm going to explore.
0:01:54 > 0:01:55As the spring celebrations approach,
0:01:55 > 0:01:57and young people here get ready to party,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59I don't have long to try and unlock
0:01:59 > 0:02:04the secrets surrounding one of the country's biggest passions - sex.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Buenos Aires.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Capital of Argentina and one of the most diverse
0:02:14 > 0:02:16and dynamic cities in South America.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Sitting on the banks of the River Plate,
0:02:21 > 0:02:25with its grand avenues, it has a strong European feel about it.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Scratch the surface, however,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31and you'll find a flavour that is distinctly Latin American.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34I have just arrived in Buenos Aires, so I am at a hotel,
0:02:34 > 0:02:38but it's unlike any hotel I've ever been to before,
0:02:38 > 0:02:43this is a telo, a hotel room you can rent by the hour
0:02:43 > 0:02:46for anyone who wants to have a quickie, basically.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Telos, or love hotels,
0:02:50 > 0:02:55are as much part of Argentine daily life as football and tango.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57"Be safe."
0:02:57 > 0:02:59MOANING FROM OTHER ROOM
0:02:59 > 0:03:00Oh, my God.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03MOANING
0:03:03 > 0:03:07You can hear various grunts
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and groans from people in the neighbouring rooms.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13KNOCKING ON WALL
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Sounds like someone is dying.
0:03:17 > 0:03:18KNOCKING
0:03:21 > 0:03:26As well as having a food menu so you can get your post-coital
0:03:26 > 0:03:33ham and cheese toastie, they have also got a catalogue of sex toys.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37I'm really hoping it's not rental.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41And like any regular hotel, every telo comes with a manager.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43In this case it's Nick,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46who's been running this one for more than ten years.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50What are people's main reasons for using telos?
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Do you tend to get very busy during Dia de la Primavera?
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Nick takes me on a tour of the telo,
0:04:25 > 0:04:29which has 24 quite distinct rooms, catering for all tastes.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32This one has got a mirrored ceiling.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Is this actually legit? Has someone just left?
0:04:36 > 0:04:39They didn't use a condom!
0:04:39 > 0:04:42They used a toothbrush - God knows what for.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45So, how much are these rooms, then?
0:04:52 > 0:04:55That's about 20 quid, that's quite a bargain.
0:04:55 > 0:04:56It's the middle of the day
0:04:56 > 0:04:59but at telos there's always a steady stream of customers.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03It's estimated about three million annually across the city.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05So, are we holding people up right now?
0:05:11 > 0:05:15One couple we're not holding up as much are Maria and Fernando
0:05:15 > 0:05:17who are getting in the mood for spring break,
0:05:17 > 0:05:19and are no strangers to the telo.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21How old are you both?
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Did you lose your virginity at a telo?
0:05:27 > 0:05:31- Yes. - No, I don't.- Wow!
0:05:31 > 0:05:35Do young people often visit telos on Dia de la Primavera?
0:05:48 > 0:05:52It's time to leave - but luckily the getaway's easy.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Wow! It's like a drive-through.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Wow, and there's Wi-Fi.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Really like the telo, it was good fun.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21I think it's a great idea regardless of whether or not
0:06:21 > 0:06:24you live with your parents, if you go by one,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28you can stop for an hour, good idea, get them in England!
0:06:28 > 0:06:31There are approximately 180 telos in Buenos Aires,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35boasting an estimated 5,000 rooms - and a steady stream of people
0:06:35 > 0:06:37queuing up to use them.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Time to head out into the city.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Are you going to Dia de la Primavera?
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Does everyone tend to get wasted?
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Do people tend to hook up lots?
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Everyone I have spoken to seems really, really excited
0:07:08 > 0:07:10about Dia de la Primavera, I'm really excited.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Buenos Aires is alive with passion.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17From the food...
0:07:17 > 0:07:19to the footy...
0:07:19 > 0:07:21and, of course, the tango.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23But there are other types of music and dancing
0:07:23 > 0:07:25pushing the boundaries here.
0:07:26 > 0:07:27One of the country's
0:07:27 > 0:07:31most popular TV programmes in recent years, Bailando Por Un Sueno,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34is a dance show that features barely concealed nudity
0:07:34 > 0:07:36and simulated sex.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42And some of the most popular music, cumbia villera
0:07:42 > 0:07:45and reggaeton, is known for its explicit dancing and lyrics.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14It's showcased on a TV show called Pasion De Sabadot,
0:08:14 > 0:08:18and with a week to go before Dia de la Primavera
0:08:18 > 0:08:20I'm heading over to the studios.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Is cumbia music a big thing here?
0:08:25 > 0:08:28What about the dancers here, are the dancers quite sexy?
0:08:33 > 0:08:36The show's produced by Pablo Serantoni
0:08:36 > 0:08:38who I catch with while the bands are setting up.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42I've read that some of the cumbia music...that the lyrics are,
0:08:42 > 0:08:45are really, really, I don't know, that they objectify women
0:08:45 > 0:08:48and talk about them as sex objects and there is one song where
0:08:48 > 0:08:52they talk about a girl having a mouth that smells like cum?
0:08:52 > 0:08:55I mean, is that true, is that accurate?
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Recently, shows like Pasion have been told by the government
0:09:14 > 0:09:17to tone down their sexual content.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20But this message clearly hasn't made it to some of the groups performing.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33It makes me tear my hair out when people attack pop artists
0:09:33 > 0:09:36for being "inappropriate", like Rihanna and stuff,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39I'm a fan, but...
0:09:39 > 0:09:42can I be brutally honest? I thought that was really,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45really inappropriate, the way that you were dancing in front of children.
0:09:53 > 0:09:54Ugh, stop!
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Some other Latin American countries have banned
0:10:03 > 0:10:06reggaeton from TV and radio as too explicit,
0:10:06 > 0:10:10but these guys show no sign of censoring their tunes.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14Maybe people's boundaries here are just different because, you know,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17they seem to think it was perfectly normal to do that, but, um,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19I don't know, you are simulating, like
0:10:19 > 0:10:22really aggressively fucking a girl
0:10:22 > 0:10:25in front of like, really, really tiny kids.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32In another part of the giant studio an all-girl band called
0:10:32 > 0:10:36The Culisueltas has arrived, although the magic of television
0:10:36 > 0:10:40is dispelled when I realise their dressing room is the girls' toilet.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Hiya, glamour...
0:10:45 > 0:10:47And yet again, very young fans.
0:10:47 > 0:10:48Ciao.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Do you think they listen to the more extreme cumbia villera music?
0:10:56 > 0:10:59They seem to be pretty young to be listening to
0:10:59 > 0:11:02music about, like...
0:11:02 > 0:11:05I don't know, anal sex and crack.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14They do understand, they do, they do understand, they understand.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17The band's name translates roughly as "girls who like to
0:11:17 > 0:11:20"shake their asses" and I'm about to find out why.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Then it all gets a bit awkward.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33Can you dance?
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Not now.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37But you only have to do...
0:11:37 > 0:11:40- you dance, but like this, like them, OK?- OK.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47The Culisueltas are energetic, outgoing...and sexually confident
0:11:47 > 0:11:49like many young people here.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56But this is a country of contradictions
0:11:56 > 0:12:00not least because of the Catholic Church, which exerts enormous power
0:12:00 > 0:12:03and influence over the population, 90% of whom are Catholics.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Its status has been reinforced by the recent appointment
0:12:08 > 0:12:12of Pope Francis, the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16HE SPEAKS IN SPANISH
0:12:16 > 0:12:19While seen as more liberal than his predecessors,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22he leads a church that still takes a negative viewpoint
0:12:22 > 0:12:25on many sexual matters, from contraception to abortion.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31And when Argentina became the first Latin American county
0:12:31 > 0:12:34to legalise same-sex marriage, many Catholics were angry.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42I'm off to meet someone who's treading the tricky line
0:12:42 > 0:12:44between church and her sexuality...
0:12:44 > 0:12:47and doing so in a surprising way.
0:12:47 > 0:12:48Hiya.
0:12:48 > 0:12:5017-year-old Camilla attends
0:12:50 > 0:12:53a strict Catholic school and is every bit the model student.
0:12:53 > 0:12:54Hi.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58But over the last few year she's undergone a remarkable transformation.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01When did you realise that you were gay?
0:13:06 > 0:13:09What were your thoughts or preconceptions about gay people
0:13:09 > 0:13:11before you realised you were gay as well?
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Support from her Catholic mother
0:13:36 > 0:13:39who went against the views of the rest of the family
0:13:39 > 0:13:43helped Camilla when she came out two years ago, but it wasn't easy.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00And who is she now?
0:14:01 > 0:14:02BURLESQUE MUSIC
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Lola, Camilla's alter-ego,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10revelling in her sexuality and posing for pin-up photos.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16What do you think your friends at school would say
0:14:16 > 0:14:19if they could see you in that outfit? So far as the amount of
0:14:19 > 0:14:22flesh that you are showing, do you think they'd be offended by it?
0:14:32 > 0:14:34But it hasn't been easy for Lola.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36When she came out at 15, life was difficult.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40How did you feel about Lola's experiences after she came out?
0:15:04 > 0:15:06And for Lola, the Primavera is integral
0:15:06 > 0:15:09to her feelings of being transformed.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30It's all about being able to express yourself -
0:15:30 > 0:15:33and the new liberal attitudes here in Argentina have given her
0:15:33 > 0:15:34the confidence to do that.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39For others, these attitudes have fuelled
0:15:39 > 0:15:43an appetite for adventure which I find around spring party time.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Now, Argentineans are pretty well known for being unfaithful.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Supposedly it's just part of the culture here
0:15:50 > 0:15:53but it not something that just affects people who are married,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55having affairs, it's something
0:15:55 > 0:15:57that young people get involved with as well and I'm actually
0:15:57 > 0:16:01on my way to a club night called "noche de la trampa"
0:16:01 > 0:16:02which translates
0:16:02 > 0:16:05to a night of cheating, basically.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Right. OK. Thanks.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28- Hola.- Hola.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Does everyone here have, like,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39a boyfriend or a girlfriend back at home, then?
0:16:39 > 0:16:44Is that part of the idea, that it's a night away from them?
0:16:53 > 0:16:56So, this is basically a sort of free-for-all
0:16:56 > 0:16:59for people looking to hook up and have sex?
0:17:01 > 0:17:04I've been hearing that most people have affairs
0:17:04 > 0:17:07that it is very normal,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09that's part of the issue with telos
0:17:09 > 0:17:12and it just seems like a cheating culture.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34- It's good, it's good, it's love.- Yeah.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41I was really pleasantly surprised by that, I thought
0:17:41 > 0:17:44it was going to be super cheesy but actually it was super fun
0:17:44 > 0:17:47and I'm going to do a U-turn and go back.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57The appetite for sex here isn't exactly subtle.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Everybody seems to be up for it all the time.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05I feel I need someone to help me analyse what's going on.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Buenos Aires is a haven for psychoanalysts, there are more
0:18:10 > 0:18:15here per head of population than anywhere else in the world.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18All I have to do is make an appointment.
0:18:18 > 0:18:19Hola, it's Billie.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Si.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Dr Juan Carlos Kusnetzoff has patiently been listening to
0:18:24 > 0:18:27young Argentineans talking about their sex lives
0:18:27 > 0:18:29for the past 20 years.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31What sort of problems do people come to you with?
0:18:57 > 0:18:59It does feel very, very sexual.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01You know you've got the telos, the tango,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04you know, the constant sort of
0:19:04 > 0:19:07wolf whistling on the street, at first I found it funny,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10now I just find it... I get pissed off by it
0:19:10 > 0:19:12mainly because I can't retaliate,
0:19:12 > 0:19:17cos I don't speak Spanish, but also when I have been going out to bars
0:19:17 > 0:19:21and stuff, speaking to people, and it being impossible to have
0:19:21 > 0:19:24a sort of Platonic conversation with anyone,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27I feel like everyone just wants to hook up.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29And I find it quite exhausting.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Do you think that people here are used to it,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34or do they find it exhausting as well?
0:20:11 > 0:20:15As recently as the 1980s, Argentina was run by an oppressive
0:20:15 > 0:20:19military dictatorship, which had been in power since the mid '70s.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22It was a brutal time, with the armed forces
0:20:22 > 0:20:25permanently on the streets out to control the population.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46During this period, known as the Dirty War,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49over 30,000 people were "disappeared" -
0:20:49 > 0:20:52that is arrested, tortured and secretly executed.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Armed men would raid homes to seize
0:20:57 > 0:20:59mainly young people opposed to the dictatorship,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02who were persecuted for their liberal beliefs.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Many were brought here, the former Navy Mechanical School,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11known as ESMA, which acted as a torture centre.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13BIRDS SQUAWK
0:21:13 > 0:21:17There is certainly a spooky atmosphere here.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21They're gutting a lot of the barracks as well,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23so you can see inside
0:21:23 > 0:21:25and they are completely empty.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30That's where the military were staying at the time.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34About 5,000 people came through here
0:21:34 > 0:21:36and never came out again.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41They were tortured in the main building, executed here.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Many were taken on "death flights" over the Atlantic,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48where their bodies were dropped into the ocean.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55ESMA is now a museum honouring the memory of those who were taken.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03It also honours the mothers and grandmothers of "the disappeared",
0:22:03 > 0:22:06who, for over 30 years have been campaigning to unearth the truth
0:22:06 > 0:22:10about what happened to their children and grandchildren.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15CHANTING IN SPANISH
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Known as the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19their determination has inspired
0:22:19 > 0:22:21a new generation of young Argentineans,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24such as Nayla and Gabriel, to become politically active.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Tell me about what's going on here...
0:22:36 > 0:22:39If they are the family of the disappeared,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41how come they weren't taken as well?
0:22:50 > 0:22:54There must be so many young people getting involved in activism
0:22:54 > 0:22:57and, you know, really inspired by what they see here.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Do you think that this liberation that the country has felt
0:23:11 > 0:23:14since the dictatorship has had an impact
0:23:14 > 0:23:18on young people's open-mindedness when it comes to sex?
0:23:24 > 0:23:26As well as marching around the plaza,
0:23:26 > 0:23:30the mothers also set up stalls to help fund their ongoing campaign.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32I think, maybe this one...
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Could you ask them... did they have relatives that disappeared, as well?
0:23:49 > 0:23:51She's going to show us.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05I'm sorry.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16I'm getting...
0:24:31 > 0:24:34I went to the, um, the memorial today...
0:24:40 > 0:24:44'I don't cry easily, but it's hard not to be moved seeing the grandmothers
0:24:44 > 0:24:48'on their vigil, and inspiring to hear that young people are using
0:24:48 > 0:24:51'the freedoms many of their parents didn't have, to become involved.'
0:24:59 > 0:25:02The past has certainly given rise to a passion for living here,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05which expresses itself in all sorts of ways.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08People keep telling me about this aphrodisiac restaurant
0:25:08 > 0:25:11so tonight I've come for a lonely date here
0:25:11 > 0:25:14to sample the sensual menu.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17- Hola.- Como estas.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20'Chatting with Carlos, the owner...'
0:25:20 > 0:25:21- Cheers.- Cheers.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25'..I find it's a menu with a very distinct flavour.'
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Right...
0:25:27 > 0:25:32"Lying on her back... she took hold of her ankles..."
0:25:32 > 0:25:36"On fire... I beg you spill all over my body."
0:25:36 > 0:25:37What would you recommend?
0:25:37 > 0:25:43Um, "We explode in a delirium of obscene words".
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Er...it's ravioli.
0:25:47 > 0:25:48SHE CHUCKLES
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Do you think this place is more than
0:25:53 > 0:25:56just a novelty restaurant, it's a place that Argentine people
0:25:56 > 0:26:00come to genuinely eat and to feel sexy?
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Do you get very busy during Dia de la Primavera?
0:26:25 > 0:26:27THEY GREET IN SPANISH
0:26:27 > 0:26:31'It's not fun eating alone, so I try to make some friends.'
0:26:31 > 0:26:32What are you having to eat?
0:26:36 > 0:26:39"Her proud sex swells and becomes inflamed."
0:26:39 > 0:26:41I was considering that, yeah. And you...?
0:26:43 > 0:26:46"The pleasure of her treasure and my aroused tongue",
0:26:46 > 0:26:49that's a steak, basically, isn't it?
0:26:51 > 0:26:57I feel super pathetic and a bit tragic being here on my own.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Who knows what will happen
0:27:02 > 0:27:05if I go out tonight on the prowl because I am too horny?
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Usually after my dinner I have ice cream for dessert
0:27:12 > 0:27:16not a live show featuring striptease, erotic dancing
0:27:16 > 0:27:19and ending in what looks like an orgy.
0:27:25 > 0:27:26In a diner across town
0:27:26 > 0:27:31Lola and her friends are sticking with a safer option - milkshakes.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Do you think Buenos Aires is a nice place to grow up as a teenager?
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Are you guys going to Dia de la Primavera?
0:28:14 > 0:28:16There's no denying how free and open Argentina can be,
0:28:16 > 0:28:20especially for young people like Lola and her friends.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22But this freedom is, in many ways,
0:28:22 > 0:28:24held back by the dominance of the Church,
0:28:24 > 0:28:28which opposes not only gay marriage but abortion and most contraception.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34The teenage birth rate here is over double that of the UK, and often
0:28:34 > 0:28:37the young mums, who mainly come from the poorer sections of society,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40are given very little support.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43But I meet a man trying to change this...
0:28:43 > 0:28:45- Hola.- Hola.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48'Gynaecologist Ricardo Gutierrez,
0:28:48 > 0:28:51'who's based in one of Argentina's busiest public hospitals.'
0:28:51 > 0:28:56I saw lots and lots of mums outside with babies.
0:29:21 > 0:29:26Dr Gutierrez runs a sexual health clinic on the edge of Villa 31,
0:29:26 > 0:29:29one of the biggest and most deprived slums in the city,
0:29:29 > 0:29:33and home to nearly 200,000 people.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36Teenage girls living in areas like this
0:29:36 > 0:29:38are four times more likely to become pregnant
0:29:38 > 0:29:40than those living in richer areas,
0:29:40 > 0:29:44with poor education and limited access to medical services
0:29:44 > 0:29:46playing a big part in this divide.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50It's too dangerous for the medics to enter by the main road,
0:29:50 > 0:29:54so they resort to a more unusual method to get into the clinic.
0:29:56 > 0:30:01So you have to get into this Villa via this train station,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04it's a bit of a weird place to enter.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07- Hola.- Hola.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11On a normal day here, how many young girls are you seeing?
0:30:16 > 0:30:19And how old do those girls tend to be?
0:30:27 > 0:30:29The age of consent here is 13, isn't it?
0:30:34 > 0:30:36Is it difficult to get hold of condoms,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38is it harder here than elsewhere?
0:30:51 > 0:30:53Do you think that the problem is
0:30:53 > 0:30:56that people don't know to use them then?
0:31:12 > 0:31:14It's pretty shocking here.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17I couldn't stop imagining myself having to have
0:31:17 > 0:31:20an examination in that room and how terrified I would be.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25To think that there are girls who are 12, 13,
0:31:25 > 0:31:29it must be really scary to...
0:31:29 > 0:31:31I don't know, have to go through that.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37Palmera is one of the young mums who relies on the clinic.
0:31:37 > 0:31:38- CHUCKLING:- Cute.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40So, he's yours?
0:31:42 > 0:31:43How old is he?
0:31:45 > 0:31:47So you had him when you were 15?
0:31:53 > 0:31:56Was it planned, I mean, was it an accident that you got pregnant?
0:31:59 > 0:32:01Do you lots of your friends have children as well?
0:32:07 > 0:32:10As well as risks to the mother, children born to teens are
0:32:10 > 0:32:13more likely to be premature, underweight
0:32:13 > 0:32:15and suffer from retarded growth.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18But it's not just the health problems
0:32:18 > 0:32:21that the Argentinean authorities are worried about.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24Only four out of ten teenagers carry on studying
0:32:24 > 0:32:26once they become pregnant.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29The problem's so bad that high schools
0:32:29 > 0:32:31are now opening their own nurseries,
0:32:31 > 0:32:34which lets the teen mums carry on with their education.
0:32:36 > 0:32:37I'm going to one school
0:32:37 > 0:32:39to meet some of the young mums who use these nurseries.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51How old is your daughter?
0:32:52 > 0:32:54And how old were you when you had her?
0:32:58 > 0:33:01Where do you think you'd be if this nursery didn't exist,
0:33:01 > 0:33:04if your school hadn't put it into place?
0:33:15 > 0:33:18Although the nursery is a huge help for the girls,
0:33:18 > 0:33:21the pressures on having a baby while still at school are enormous.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24I want to see if any of them
0:33:24 > 0:33:27considered terminating their pregnancy.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30Were any of you worried when you found out you were pregnant,
0:33:30 > 0:33:32did any of you think about looking into an abortion?
0:33:40 > 0:33:41Are any of you religious?
0:33:46 > 0:33:49So many of my friends have had abortions.
0:33:49 > 0:33:54Um, it's not something that would necessary enter a lot of our heads,
0:33:54 > 0:33:58I don't think, to have a kid at my age.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16These teen mothers wouldn't have considered an abortion.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19Perhaps the Catholic Church has contributed to their view,
0:34:19 > 0:34:21with its complete opposition to it.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24But there are thousands of women in Argentina
0:34:24 > 0:34:26looking to terminate their pregnancies.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30It's illegal, so many resort to underground clinics
0:34:30 > 0:34:33where backstreet surgeons operate in squalid conditions,
0:34:33 > 0:34:35often with horrifying results.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51How primitive are we talking, with the botched abortions,
0:34:51 > 0:34:53what methods are they using?
0:35:15 > 0:35:20Half a million women undergo illegal abortions every year in Argentina.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24Of those, 80,000 are admitted to hospital with acute complications,
0:35:24 > 0:35:26and around 100 die.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29The vast majority happen behind closed doors,
0:35:29 > 0:35:32with anonymity being the watchword.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34It's a taboo subject,
0:35:34 > 0:35:37but one woman is prepared to talk to me.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Camilla was 21 when she fell pregnant by accident.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46I can't imagine how terrifying and daunting a prospect it must be
0:35:46 > 0:35:49to even think about how you are going to try and get rid of
0:35:49 > 0:35:51a baby here. I mean, what happened
0:35:51 > 0:35:54when you actually went for the abortion?
0:36:13 > 0:36:15- They didn't know your name?- No.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18Did they claim to be doctors or...? They didn't say?
0:36:31 > 0:36:34'Complications resulting from an abortion are often kept quiet.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40'In most cases, the women are too afraid to seek help from a doctor.'
0:36:40 > 0:36:44What happens then if you are reported to the police
0:36:44 > 0:36:49for looking into having an abortion, what do they do?
0:36:56 > 0:36:59God, it's unbelievable... it's preposterous.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04How would you feel about me checking out
0:37:04 > 0:37:06if the clinic is still operating?
0:37:22 > 0:37:25While abortion remains a criminal offence, it's impossible to know
0:37:25 > 0:37:27how many clinics there are in Argentina,
0:37:27 > 0:37:29and under what conditions they operate.
0:37:32 > 0:37:33Trying to find out if the clinic Camilla used
0:37:33 > 0:37:37is still operating isn't going to be easy either.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39But I find someone who agrees to help.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43I've got hold of this journalist who has agreed to go in undercover
0:37:43 > 0:37:46and say that she wants to have an abortion herself.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57- Perfect.- OK.- Good luck.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00'Once the evidence has been gathered, using a secret camera,
0:38:00 > 0:38:04'she'll call me. All I can do now is wait.'
0:38:14 > 0:38:17Around half of Argentineans now support the right to abortion,
0:38:17 > 0:38:21and there's a growing movement that regularly takes to the streets
0:38:21 > 0:38:22demanding a change in the law.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25Camilla invites me to a demonstration
0:38:25 > 0:38:28that's taking place outside the capital's Congress building
0:38:30 > 0:38:33Is it nice to see so many young people here?
0:38:43 > 0:38:45Have you got many friends here then?
0:38:54 > 0:38:57One of these people is German Cardoso,
0:38:57 > 0:39:00a member of an Argentine doctors' association committed to
0:39:00 > 0:39:05legalising abortion and eradicating dangerous backstreet clinics.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07It's great, there's loads of people.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26'He was a highly-trained surgeon with a successful career, who,
0:39:26 > 0:39:29'after helping a desperate colleague with an abortion,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32'dedicated his life to helping other women
0:39:32 > 0:39:34'obtain safe and clinical procedures.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37'But being open about it has got him into trouble with the law,
0:39:37 > 0:39:41'as he explains when I meet up with him away from the demonstration.'
0:39:41 > 0:39:43When were you arrested?
0:40:03 > 0:40:05How many girls are calling you each day?
0:40:21 > 0:40:24'Underground abortions are the biggest cause of maternal death
0:40:24 > 0:40:28'in the country, three times more than the world average.'
0:40:28 > 0:40:30Of the abortions that are being carried out here,
0:40:30 > 0:40:33how many do you think are by actual doctors?
0:40:46 > 0:40:50It's quite, um...difficult
0:40:50 > 0:40:53talking about abortion here really.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57I've had...
0:40:57 > 0:41:01lots and lots of friends who have had them,
0:41:01 > 0:41:06and they are traumatic enough back home, let alone, you know,
0:41:06 > 0:41:09having to worry about if you're committing a crime
0:41:09 > 0:41:12or if the person who is performing it
0:41:12 > 0:41:14is properly qualified. I can't imagine.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34I've finally got the secret footage of Camilla's clinic,
0:41:34 > 0:41:37and it's no surprise the man giving the advice is not a doctor.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41Is this very difficult to watch?
0:41:52 > 0:41:56'As we watch the footage, Camilla seems understandably anxious. '
0:42:02 > 0:42:04'Then something appears that throws me.'
0:42:05 > 0:42:06There's a cat.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19While the footage clearly shows that the clinic is still doing
0:42:19 > 0:42:21illegal abortions, what really disturbs me is the way
0:42:21 > 0:42:24it operates with seemingly little interest
0:42:24 > 0:42:26in the welfare of the women.
0:42:34 > 0:42:39Not enquiring about someone's medical history
0:42:39 > 0:42:42and prior complications, it doesn't seem to be...
0:42:42 > 0:42:46there's no information about the pregnancy itself
0:42:46 > 0:42:47or about how it occurred,
0:42:47 > 0:42:52obviously that must lead to, you know, things going wrong.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08Until the law changes, backstreet clinics will continue to operate
0:43:08 > 0:43:10with minimal protection for the women using them,
0:43:10 > 0:43:13which will mean more suffering, and more deaths.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21It's almost time for Dia de la Primavera,
0:43:21 > 0:43:24and to get me in the mood, I decide to go out dancing...
0:43:24 > 0:43:28somewhere that's turning tradition on its head.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31TANGO MUSIC PLAYS
0:43:38 > 0:43:42I've come to the city's first gay tango hall, or milonga.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44It's the start of the lesson, and I decide to join in.
0:43:46 > 0:43:50I've roped a barman, Fernando, into being my partner.
0:43:50 > 0:43:56Which foot? My right? OK, OK. I'm a natural.
0:43:58 > 0:44:02Traditionally in tango, the male guides the woman around the floor.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06But not here, where same sex couples
0:44:06 > 0:44:07are making their own rules.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12Not that that is helping me.
0:44:12 > 0:44:16- I'm quite bad, I think.- Yes. - Am I cramping Fernando's style?
0:44:16 > 0:44:18He's totally lost.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21'After the lesson I sit down with Augusto,
0:44:21 > 0:44:24'who's been putting me through my paces.'
0:44:24 > 0:44:28Argentina is very progressive so far as gay rights is concerned.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30Do you think, for that reason,
0:44:30 > 0:44:34more nights like this will start cropping up and lasting?
0:44:34 > 0:44:39Honestly, no, there won't be the necessity of an exclusive gay place.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42The chance to dance in a traditional milonga, I think
0:44:42 > 0:44:48now are more open because of the law and legalisation, no?
0:44:48 > 0:44:53But, yes, it's going with the rhythm of the society.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55At Dia de la Primavera, is there any
0:44:55 > 0:44:59special tango events or dancing that happens to celebrate?
0:44:59 > 0:45:01Actually, it depends on the organiser!
0:45:01 > 0:45:02HE LAUGHS
0:45:02 > 0:45:07Sometimes we make some sort of contest with tango
0:45:07 > 0:45:08or some other rhythms.
0:45:10 > 0:45:14What I try to do in this place, in my place,
0:45:14 > 0:45:20is to have...to enjoy tango, but to have fun with some other things.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22'The gay scene here is remarkably open,
0:45:22 > 0:45:24'given the Catholic Church's traditional views
0:45:24 > 0:45:27'on homosexuality and same sex marriage.'
0:45:30 > 0:45:32I want to see if these views are echoed
0:45:32 > 0:45:34by the new generation of churchgoers.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41I would be interested to know where you stand
0:45:41 > 0:45:45so far as the legislation of gay marriage.
0:45:45 > 0:45:49The fact that that is allowed and there is a thriving gay scene here.
0:46:01 > 0:46:02Do you all agree with that?
0:46:13 > 0:46:15'But what do they think about
0:46:15 > 0:46:17'the more controversial issue of abortion?'
0:46:17 > 0:46:20Have any of you ever known someone who has had an abortion?
0:46:43 > 0:46:49I think that, regardless of your religious viewpoint,
0:46:49 > 0:46:55it's obvious that abortions will continue to happen,
0:46:55 > 0:46:59and it's my thinking that it would be safer for everyone
0:46:59 > 0:47:02if it was legalised...
0:47:02 > 0:47:06because less mothers would die. No?
0:47:15 > 0:47:19Around Dia de la Primavera, I know there are several different groups
0:47:19 > 0:47:23and charities handing out condoms and promoting the idea of safe sex.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33I'm not surprised by some of these young Catholics' views.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36But their take on contraception is definitely more in keeping
0:47:36 > 0:47:38with the new liberal Argentina.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50At last, Dia de la Primavera has arrived,
0:47:50 > 0:47:52and there's a real excitement in the air
0:47:52 > 0:47:54as final preparations are made for this big event.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58Meanwhile, I've heard about a private celebration,
0:47:58 > 0:48:00and decide to drop in on it.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05Argentina's transsexual community are in many ways
0:48:05 > 0:48:09the ultimate example of the contradictions I've seen here.
0:48:09 > 0:48:13They benefit from some of the most progressive transgender laws anywhere.
0:48:13 > 0:48:17You can change your gender identity here without changing your sex,
0:48:17 > 0:48:20but at the same time, they face daily harassment.
0:48:20 > 0:48:24Around 85% don't finish normal high school,
0:48:24 > 0:48:27but now a ground-breaking new school is making a difference.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29Patatas fritas.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31Around 40 students study here,
0:48:31 > 0:48:33and many are helping prepare for the big day.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36What are your plans?
0:48:37 > 0:48:39How long have you been students here?
0:48:42 > 0:48:44How have you found it, how has it helped you?
0:49:09 > 0:49:12The Mocha Celis school, one of the first of its kind in the world,
0:49:12 > 0:49:15is where transvestites and transsexuals
0:49:15 > 0:49:17can safely finish their education,
0:49:17 > 0:49:19away from selling themselves on the street,
0:49:19 > 0:49:21which many have to do to survive.
0:49:34 > 0:49:37I am sure you inspire lots of young people
0:49:37 > 0:49:39who have struggled with the same things as you.
0:49:55 > 0:49:57What's the plan for Dia de la Primavera?
0:50:04 > 0:50:05Cool!
0:50:07 > 0:50:09I leave the students to enjoy their celebrations
0:50:09 > 0:50:12and head out into the city to enjoy the rest of the day.
0:50:12 > 0:50:16The weather is good, the organisers are ready
0:50:16 > 0:50:18and hundreds of kids are pouring into the park.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21Thousands are expected to the all-day party.
0:50:22 > 0:50:26In past years, the celebrations, fuelled by drugs and alcohol,
0:50:26 > 0:50:27have got out of hand, so this time
0:50:27 > 0:50:30the police aren't taking any chances.
0:50:32 > 0:50:34There's a buzz in the air, although, as I've seen
0:50:34 > 0:50:36over the past few weeks, in this city,
0:50:36 > 0:50:38sexual undertones are never far away.
0:50:40 > 0:50:46Even the clowns are shouting things and looking at my skirt, it's gross.
0:50:46 > 0:50:48These guys, lurking behind the tree.
0:50:53 > 0:50:57- Hola.- Hola.- Hello.- Hi.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59Are you going to get very drunk?
0:51:02 > 0:51:04How drunk?
0:51:13 > 0:51:15People have been looking forward to this day for months,
0:51:15 > 0:51:19and I get the feeling everyone is determined to make it a big one.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23THUNDERCLAP
0:51:23 > 0:51:25But then, disaster strikes.
0:51:27 > 0:51:31For us in the UK, a festival's not complete without a bit of rain,
0:51:31 > 0:51:34but over here, bad weather definitely stops play.
0:51:36 > 0:51:41It's freezing and it's raining and everyone is leaving. Very miserable.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47In spite of the downpour, some, like Lola, are still trying
0:51:47 > 0:51:48to get into the festive spirit.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03Is this typical of Dia de la Primavera?
0:52:09 > 0:52:12These guys are trying their best, but I plan a quick exit
0:52:12 > 0:52:14when someone whips out an acoustic guitar.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17CAR HORNS BLARE
0:52:20 > 0:52:24Once the sun goes down, the partying kicks off all over again
0:52:29 > 0:52:30THEY CHANT
0:52:30 > 0:52:34I'm in the middle of Palermo right now and it's super, super busy.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37It's about 2.30am, which by Argentinean standards
0:52:37 > 0:52:40is quite early. We've had Dia de la Primavera today
0:52:40 > 0:52:43and everyone seems in the mood for a celebration
0:52:46 > 0:52:51Do things tend to get a bit busier and crazier on this day?
0:52:57 > 0:52:59So how did you celebrate today?
0:53:10 > 0:53:12Is it a good opportunity to meet a guy?
0:53:19 > 0:53:21We all are.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24DRUMMING
0:53:24 > 0:53:28But the springtime celebrations don't just go on for one night.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33The partying carries on the following weekend...
0:53:39 > 0:53:42..which gives me an opportunity to meet up one more time with Lola.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44- How you doing?- Hi.
0:53:44 > 0:53:48Her journey from Catholic schoolgirl to lesbian pin-up model encapsulates
0:53:48 > 0:53:52the spirit and freedom that the new generation of Argentineans have.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56She's hosting a springtime party,
0:53:56 > 0:53:59and with the queues snaking round the block, it seems this is
0:53:59 > 0:54:02definitely the place to be - no matter who you are.
0:54:02 > 0:54:03What sort of people are here?
0:54:12 > 0:54:15Looking round the packed club, it's great to see how everyone
0:54:15 > 0:54:17is free to be completely themselves.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37The atmosphere is electric.
0:54:37 > 0:54:41Everywhere you look there is dancing, snogging...
0:54:41 > 0:54:42and a whole lot more.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50Do you think that young people here feel,
0:54:50 > 0:54:53for the most part, free to express themselves?
0:55:23 > 0:55:26When I first came to Argentina, I was struck by the sexual atmosphere
0:55:26 > 0:55:28and young people's strength in their opinions.
0:55:32 > 0:55:34As I've got to know the place, I've come to realise
0:55:34 > 0:55:37it's not just about sexual freedom, it's about having a voice.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41There are so many contradictions here.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44There's an undeniable feeling of sexual energy in the air.
0:55:44 > 0:55:46And I think that open-mindedness
0:55:46 > 0:55:50with regard to sex and young people is really encouraged here,
0:55:50 > 0:55:52but at the same time, abortion is illegal,
0:55:52 > 0:55:55and there's a huge problem of teen pregnancy here.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01The young people I've met are determined
0:56:01 > 0:56:05to express themselves - a direct reaction to the years of repression.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08In doing so, they are pushing against a society
0:56:08 > 0:56:11dominated by traditional Catholic values.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14But the extraordinary thing is, it's this tension that seems to be
0:56:14 > 0:56:17energising the young people of Argentina,
0:56:17 > 0:56:20and making it such an exciting place.
0:56:20 > 0:56:22Next week, I'm in Brazil,
0:56:22 > 0:56:26living it up at their glitzy 15th-birthday balls.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29I underestimated the debutante ball thing.
0:56:29 > 0:56:30Wow!
0:56:30 > 0:56:34It's boom time here, but some aren't invited to the party.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36Where I am now, they're literally struggling to survive.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39Will a few Cinderellas make it to the ball?