Internet as a tool for health promotion projects

The development of individual and social skills, in the sense of acquiring greater control and produce Empowerment, is considered a very important strategy for Health Promotion. Access to information is one of the bases for such process. Over recent years, the world has witnessed a wide-ranging technological transformation that has substantially expanded the access to information, especially through the internet and much has been said and written in the last two decades about its immense potential. Several studies point it as a special tool to obtain information and develop skills, both individual and communal. Based on national (Brazilian) and international scientific literature on Health Promotion, Health Information on the Internet and Digital Divide, this paper aims to discuss the possibilities of using the Internet as a resource on Health Promotion projects in Brazil. For that, we highlight strength points and potential barriers, especially the digital divide. The authors believe that the Internet may be a great ally in building projects for Health Promotion, however, in developing these projects is essential to consider potential risks, such as a reinforcement of the discourses of (medical) professionalism and the hegemonic medical model (biomedicine) and an increase of social control through health care, among others. It’s also fundamental to understand that the strategies and programs in health promotion area must be adapted to the needs and possibilities of each site and take into account social, cultural and economic differences.