HIV Epidemic in Russia: How to protect yourself and not be afraid
December 1 - World AIDS Day. On the eve, Rospotrebnadzor stated the HIV epidemic in Russia: according to the information of the service, about 1% of Russians live with HIV, 30% of them do not know about it. The Ministry of Healthcare does predict that by 2020 the HIV epidemic in Russia could get out of control. How the current situation influences our life here and now we asked the experts of NP "EVA" - the first non-governmental network organization in Russia that helps HIV-positive women. They told how the spread of HIV in Russia developed into an epidemic, why it is important to learn how to live in such conditions and what can be done to achieve a global solution to the problem.
In Russia, stated the HIV epidemic. What does this mean?
We have been talking about the severity of the situation related to the spread of HIV infection, what kind of crisis nature it has in Russia, for many years. Another thing is that over the past few years, this topic has somewhat faded. This happened mainly because federal television channels and major media outlets stopped talking about the problem. According to one of the versions, official television sought to entertain people, but not to raise acute social issues, and HIV infection, of course, is just one of such acute social issues.
One of the difficulties associated with the HIV epidemic in the current circumstances is that this disease is related to the sexual behavior of people, the sexual debuts of young people, different sexuality of people, as well as current drug policies, which, unfortunately, are long years does not bring a satisfactory result. An open conversation about these important issues in current legal conditions and the current value system is difficult.
The fact that the Minister of Health recently acknowledged for the first time in recent years that the HIV situation is alarming, that this topic has been the subject of a conversation at the level of the Prime Minister, is not something surprising or exceptional. This is a consequence of the extremely alarming epidemiological situation, as well as the efforts of many specialists, scientists, and activists who continue to speak publicly about this problem, encouraging decision-makers to openly recognize the situation as critical. It is important that officials openly stated that the situation with HIV has become extremely alarming. And even more importantly, a number of very specific instructions have been made - both to the federal executive authorities and to the heads of subjects, on which, of course, also much depends - in countering the HIV epidemic in our country.
In my opinion, this list of instructions lacks important aspects. The assignment to the Ministry of Education - to analyze the existing experience - is very general in nature. We need to not only analyze the experience of existing programs, but also consistently, very thoughtfully implement HIV prevention in secondary and higher educational institutions, as well as among the masses. We urgently need thematic advanced training courses on HIV for medical and social workers, as well as educators. After all, unfortunately, at the moment the professional community is not ready to solve the problems of preventing the spread of the epidemic.
How could the HIV epidemic be prevented at the state level?
We will not be able to make significant changes in terms of the spread of HIV infection in Russia until we look soberly and rationally on the issue of HIV prevention among vulnerable communities: people who use drugs, sex workers, LGBT communities. These groups are closed and the society is tempted not to notice them, but they still exist.
In the area of public education, sober and rational approaches are needed. It is time to recognize that the promotion of values only of abstinence and loyalty fundamentally the question of stopping the sexual route of HIV transmission cannot be resolved. It is necessary to analyze the existing regulatory framework. Thus, in the part of the law on the protection of children from harmful information, it is necessary to recognize that its wording is of such a general nature that, if desired, information from programs in the field of HIV prevention can be written into harming adolescents. For this reason, many schools are hesitant to raise the topic of ways to protect against infection. The most absurd when, by inertia, they do not dare to talk about it in colleges and higher educational institutions.
What does the beginning of the epidemic mean for the ordinary Russian and how not to panic?
People began to panic because of the HIV epidemic in 1978, when some unknown virus began to affect young people, and they suddenly began to die from diseases that were previously only relevant to deeply elderly people. It is strange to panic about the HIV epidemic in 2015, when the human immunodeficiency virus is one of the most studied in the world, when it is clear how to transmit it and how to control its effect on the human body, when it is scientifically proven that people taking ART, maintain quality and life expectancy, and in the case of undetectable viral load can not infect another person.
An ordinary Russian citizen needs to realize that HIV infection is now a real part of the reality in which we live. It is necessary to take this into account when raising your children; it is important to take this into account when solving the issue of their infectious safety. It is also important to understand that we live in a society where there are people living with HIV, and it is necessary to formulate our attitude to this. This relationship can only be calm and supportive, because, as mentioned earlier, HIV infection is no longer a fatal disease, which means that working together, friendship, communication, study, romantic, family relationships with a person living with HIV , ceased to be something exceptional, dramatic and sacrificial.
In order not to panic, you need to do a few simple things: analyze whether you had a risk of getting HIV. That is, if you had unprotected sex with a partner whose HIV status you do not know, this is a risk. If there was no risk, exhale. If it was, go and get tested for HIV. This can be done in almost any medical institution. Experiencing fear while waiting for test results is a normal condition for a person. Therefore, testing for HIV is likely to be associated with, say, discomfort. But this action will give you certainty and knowledge of your status.
It may happen that the test is positive. What can reduce the degree of panic and fear in such a situation? Learn as much as you can about your touch. Information allows you to own the situation, take it in your hands. Connect with people who, like you, are involved in the topic of HIV. It can be patients, and doctors, and lawyers. Thanks to the Internet, we have many opportunities: ask questions on thematic sites, read articles, communicate. Self-help groups for people living with HIV are very effective. They will help you go through the process of making a diagnosis more constructively and quickly with the least emotional difficulties for you.
The situation now is really such that the saying "HIV in every home" is close to reality. And these are not the first stages of the epidemic - it has been going on for quite some time. Another thing is that both state structures and people whom it has not touched close their eyes to its existence. According to my impressions, people often manifest a childish behavior pattern: "If I close my eyes, it will disappear and, therefore, it will not affect me." But one way or another, this problem concerns us all. When my little son grows older, he will learn, together with information about sex, from my husband and me about how to protect against various sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.
How to treat the current situation with HIV consciously and what rules must be followed in order not to get infected?
Unfortunately, HIV infection is the norm of our lives, and this needs to be understood and accepted. The rules for protecting oneself from HIV infection differ little, or rather, do not differ at all, from the basic rules of infectious safety. The same thing that protects you from syphilis, viral hepatitis, human papillomavirus, gonorrhea, and so on, that is, from infectious diseases transmitted through unprotected sex, and also through blood, will protect you from HIV.
Contact with non-sterile equipment should be avoided. Unprotected sex is dangerous. Also, HIV infection is transmitted from mother to child, so if the mother is disciplined and is registered for pregnancy on time, this factor is taken into account in the pregnancy preparation procedure. During pregnancy, a woman donates blood to HIV three times in order to detect the infection in a timely manner and, in the event of a positive test result, start taking special medications that will protect the child from infection. In addition, the doctor will advise the woman about the need to refuse breastfeeding in order to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus to zero.
Another way to protect yourself is to pass an HIV test. The earlier the diagnosis is made, the higher the chance that the treatment will be successful, that the virus will not have time to harm your immune system. Accordingly, you can control it. People are afraid to be tested, they are afraid that the result will be positive, but in fact it is much more dangerous to not know their HIV status. Because if you know him, you can already regulate your condition with the help of ARV therapy.
If you find out that you have HIV, there are at least two places where you can go for support. The first is AIDS centers that specifically engage in counseling patients, leading them, supporting them, and monitoring their health. Psychologists, social workers, peer counselors often work at such centers. Peer counselors are people living with HIV, who have themselves gone through the whole process of making a diagnosis, who understand well the fears of a person living with HIV and who are always ready to provide support.
The second place to go is a patient organization, or non-profit organization that deals with the prevention of HIV infection and support for people living with HIV. In such an organization, you can get informal support and, perhaps, find a way to solve the pressing problems that you have to face. And if you wish, you can become a volunteer, part of a community that is involved in solving this problem.
But even if there is no such organization in your city or village, thanks to the development of the Internet, we can communicate with each other: participate in online support groups, communicate on social networks and online forums and thus receive the necessary support, assistance and information. This will allow to adapt to any circumstances that we face in life.
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