On the first day of winter, the Chelyabinsk Centre for Public Health and Preventive Medicine and South Ural State University organized an interactive film screening and anonymous express HIV testing.
World AIDS Day has been celebrated on December 1st for over 30 years. The day was founded in order to stop the significant HIV infection spreads. In honour of this day, an event for university students and those wishing to take part was held at SUSU.
"On World AIDS Day, we've decided to hold an event for students at the university. We will present an interactive film, where students themselves will be able to determine the course of events. As a result of watching the video, it will be possible to once again assess the social aspects of life of people with HIV-positive status, and how others treat such people," says Ekaterina Kudriavtseva, Head of the Chelyabinsk Centre for Public Health and Preventive Medicine.
The film the participants watched had been produced by the "Takie Dela" foundation and is titled Vse slozhno (Everything Is Complicated). This is a story of a girl who is HIV positive from birth, she lives an ordinary life: meets friends, falls in love, and builds her family. In the course of the film, the audience is asked questions about HIV infection: the further plot of the film depends on their answers.
Before and after the film, the participants of the meeting had the opportunity to undergo an anonymous express saliva-based HIV test right at the event venue. As Ekaterina notes, health check is a matter of care of oneself, because there may be no symptoms of HIV infection for several years.
A student of the Institute of Linguistics and International Communications Tatiana Nikitina became one of those wishing to take the express test.
The girl explained why, in her opinion, this issue should be discussed with the young generation.
"I think that if people do not speak openly about this problem, then many will not learn that there is no need to be afraid of HIV-positive people, this disease is not transmitted through airborne droplets. I have not attended such events before, so I plan to watch an interactive film and take the rapid HIV test."
According to the organizers, such events are attended by a large number of young people: in various educational institutions, shopping centres and sports arenas. In turn, the availability and safety of taking the test is ensured by mobile complexes, where you can get the result within 15 minutes.
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We should remind that there are other places in Chelyabinsk where you can take an HIV test. The addresses and opening hours are as follows:
- December 3rd, 9:00 - 12:00 - a mobile van near 82a Komsomolskii Prospekt;
- December 4th, 9: 00-12: 00 - a mobile van near 6 Savina Street;
- December 5th, 15:00-18:00 - testing area in Traktor Ice Arena for match spectators.
For reference:
Today, every 98th inhabitant in the Chelyabinsk Region is HIV-infected. Any person can be at risk of the infection. In addition, HIV-positive people continue to be discriminated.