HIV / AIDS IN RUSSIA: PUBLIC OPINION OF YOUTH

ABSTRACT

Discriminatory attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS are prevalent. A Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS report (2019) indicated that more than 50% of the people surveyed in one of the studies spanning 26 countries expressed unfavorable attitudes towards HIV-positive people. Awareness may not always have a decisive influence on the formation of responsible behavior that protects against HIV infection. In this regard, there is a need for preventive measures among young people.

Keywords: HIV, AIDS, vulnerable group, young people, health education.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is "a retrovirus from the genus of lentiviruses that causes a slowly progressive disease - HIV infection."

"As a result, the immune system is suppressed and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) develops, the patient's body loses its ability to defend itself against infections and tumors, and secondary opportunistic diseases arise that are not typical for people with normal immune status."

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) - “a condition that develops against the background of HIV infection, characterized by a drop in the number of CD4 + lymphocytes, multiple opportunistic infections, non-infectious and neoplastic diseases. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection”. AIDS was first raised by the United States of America in 1981.

Note that HIV infection is quite difficult to get infected. But you can become HIV-positive even with a single exposure to the virus. It all depends on the amount of viruses contained in the biological fluid of an HIV patient. Note that the concentration of the virus is different at different stages of the course of the infection.

It is advisable to present a list of biological fluids in which the virus is most concentrated: blood, semen, ore milk, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid.

According to the statistics of the all-Russian survey, the majority of young people do not understand the essence of HIV. Namely, some point out the way of HIV infection through airborne droplets. Another part believes that the mode of transmission is water. A minority blame the infection on the handshake. There are a lot of such absurdities.

The conclusion suggests itself that young people lack knowledge about this disease. While, there are two ways HIV is transmitted:

• unprotected intercourse;
• intravenous injections to different people with the same needle.

In today's reality, most of us believe that HIV poses a risk to life. In accordance with this, the idea arose to conduct a sociological study on the topic “HIV / AIDS in Russia: Public Opinion of Youth”. The main research method was the survey method in the form of a questionnaire survey of respondents aged 15 to 35 years, living in the city of St. Petersburg. The questions involved a choice of answer options. In total, there were three questionnaires on the topics: "HIV", "Sex education", "Drug addiction".

The collection of information was carried out online using social networks and instant messengers: VKontakte, What’s Up, Viber, Telegram.

The questions were closed (to which answers are given), half-closed (and the “other” option).

Among the young respondents surveyed, 43% know that HIV infection is a human immunodeficiency virus that is transmitted only from person to person, that AIDS is the last stage of HIV infection that ends in death, 53% know. The misconceptions that HIV infection is the last stage of AIDS is 20%.

The following ideas have developed about the properties of the human immunodeficiency virus. 13% know that the immunodeficiency virus quickly dies outside the body, it is found only in the fluids of the human body - 88%. 13% of young people are mistaken that it is in the air and is transmitted like influenza.

It can be concluded that the ideas about the immunodeficiency virus and AIDS among young people are not complete and correct enough. And this is confirmed by how young people often equate HIV infection and AIDS, and think that the immunodeficiency virus is transmitted as easily as ARVI.

As a result of studying the answers to the questionnaire on sex education of young people, the following results were obtained: 80% of people are strongly afraid of HIV infection, 12% are not afraid of infection, and 9% are not aware of the problem of infection.

The following indicators were obtained from the distribution of the values of the risks of HIV infection. 9% of respondents say high and medium risk. 21% of young people focus on low risk, 34% believe that there is no risk. It was difficult for 25% to give an answer.

Also, 80% are afraid of getting infected. 34% do not realize that they can be infected. Many are simply not ready to delve into this issue, they consider this topic not important.

It became possible to trace the alleged behavioral patterns in the situation of HIV infection. 61% of respondents would warn others about their status. 13% would not reveal the secret. 2% would spread the infection. The category “other” was chosen by 24%. Respondents in this group indicated the following:

• “I would start to be treated”, “I would go to a doctor and fence off my loved ones from this disease”;
• "I would never get sick";
• “I would have lived as I had lived before”;
• "would have more and more sexual contacts."

The results of the study of stereotypes of behavior in relation to HIV-infected people are presented in Table 1.

Table 1.

Results of studying stereotypes of behavior in relation to HIV-infected people, %

The results of the study of drug use experience show that the majority of respondents (97%) have heard about drugs. 72% of young people say that there are no drug addicts among their friends and acquaintances.

Thus, most of the respondents consider drugs to be harmful (78%). 21% of those surveyed speak of drugs as a dangerous lethal substance. For 1% of the surveyed, there is no harm.

57% of people consider drugs to be a bad habit, 50% are aware that drugs cause psychophysiological dependence. 31% of young people know that HIV can be transmitted through drugs. 1% do not understand the essence and believe that it is not difficult to give up drug addiction.

The remaining 9% attribute drug addiction to a bad habit that causes death.

It can be concluded that young people quite realistically represent all the danger that arises from drug use. However, not all young people know that one of the consequences of drug addiction is AIDS, and this is very important, since drug addiction is the main route of HIV infection.

In general, the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. The ideas about the immunodeficiency virus and AIDS among young people are not complete and correct. And this is confirmed by the way young people often equate HIV-infection and AIDS, as well as the fact that the immunodeficiency virus is transmitted like influenza.

2. There is a certain level of ignorance among young people about the possible risk of HIV infection. Young people are not sufficiently informed about the modes of transmission and ways of protection against HIV infection.

3. Young people quite realistically represent all the danger that arises from drug use. However, not everyone knows that one of the consequences of drug addiction is a disease such as AIDS.

4. The majority of young people are afraid of HIV infection, however, the largest percentage of young people do not realize the danger of infection.

5. Young people are not so categorical in their assessments, if it concerns close relatives and are more categorical in relation to "distant persons", that is, most often "close person" is perceived as "an object that needs to be taken care of and looked after", and "distant" perceived as a “source of possible infection”.

It can be concluded that awareness may not always have a decisive influence on the formation of responsible behavior that protects against HIV infection.

In this regard, there is a need for preventive measures among young people.

References:

1. Levy, B. Modeling the Effect of HIV/AIDS Stigma on HIV Infection Dynamics in Kenya. – Bull Math Biol 83. – 55 (2021). – p. 34-37.
2. Haroun, D. assessing knowledge of, and attitudes to, HIV/AIDS among university students in the United Arab Emirates. – PlOS One 2016. – 11(2). – p. 149.
3. UNAIDS (2018). Fact Sheet. Geneva: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. – Access mode: http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/UNAIDS_FactSheet_es.pdf (accessed on 10 December 2020).