If a Condom Day celebration evokes images of a bright festival with people dressed as variously flavored condoms dancing in the streets, a reality check is needed.
For the International
Condom Day, an HIV test is in order.
A couple of
condom days are celebrated by different non-profit organizations throughout the
year.
“As far as
I know there is a Day of Women’s Condom in September and many organizations
have their own Condom Days differently celebrated in different countries, there
is even a Week of Condoms celebrated in the USA,” says Constance Boris, regional
advocacy manager at AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which started their own Condom
Day in Ukraine on Feb. 13, mostly held in an educational way.
There were
more than 20,000 condoms given away during such actions all over Ukraine and more
than 500 people got tested for HIV in 4 Kyiv’s Ashan supermarkets. And this is
not the third year such celebrations take place in Kyiv and some other
Ukrainian cities.
“Our
organization celebrates Condoms Day in 12 cities and towns around Ukraine, such
as Odesa, Bilgorod-Dnistrovskyi, Lysychansk, Kozyatyn, Kerch and many others,
though HIV testing is only available In Kyiv and Belgorod-Dnistrovskyi,” Boris says.
And despite the huge amount of superstitions about
HIV and AIDS in Ukraine, Boris ensures that every time they organize such free
express HIV testing in public places around Ukraine, people are not only eager
to undergo such test but even ready to wait in a line to get tested. “I think
this clearly shows the need of such actions within Ukrainian community,” Boris
explains. “Of course there are many
opportunities to get tested for HIV for free at the trust centers around Kyiv
and other Ukrainian cities, but people usually don’t do that, just because it takes
time and people simply like to postpone the unpleasant issues,” she said.
And it
seems to be very true. “Here it is just so easy [to get tested for HIV]. They
suggested and I agreed,” says Valentyna, 40-years-old, shop assistant. She
refused to give her last name giving the strong stigma, concerning AIDS
positive people, that still exists in Ukrainian society, but she doesn’t
believe she is HIV positive. “It’s just, you know, I am pretty sure I don’t
have HIV, but I just want to know,” she smiles and bravely heads to the testing
tent. She is number 121 tester at Ashan, Petrivka in Kyiv and says she is not
afraid at all.
Infectious
diseases doctor and medical director of AIDS Healthcare Foundation Yaroslava
Lopatina says that it is possible to live with AIDS as long as one can live
without it, but the sooner it is detected the better. “One can live with AIDS
and never even suspect that and finally live to the point when nothing can
help,” Lopatina explains.
The
majority of people who got tested during Feb. 10 at all Kyiv’s Ashan
supermarkets were happy to get their negative results, though there were some seven
who got their positives after express testing and were redirected to AIDS
treatment establishments. Lopatina says that most of people who agree for a
test are middle-aged, “basically those who already feel some responsibility and
want to know the truth anyway,” she explained.
Married couple
Olga and Vitaliy, both in their 30s, are already waiting for the test results. They
didn’t want their names published because of the stigma associated with HIV
testing. Olga didn’t agree for a test but she is obviously more nervous that
her husband who just came out of the testing tent.
“Everything can happen,” she says with her
voice slightly trembling, while her husband ensures that he is not nervous at
all. “I know it is possible to live with AIDS for quite a long time and I also
know that you can die young with no HIV,” he smiles, proudly showing his free
condoms he got for a test.
And however
no new revolutionary AIDS treatment found yet the doctors are optimistic.
Lopatina
ensures that early detected HIV treatment costs only $300 per year and usually
is funded by the state.
“Diabetes
is incurable too, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t cure it at all,” Lopatina
smiles optimistically. “Besides that, we should not forget about the ways to
prevent HIV. Condoms are 95 percent effective, so it is as easy as it gets – if
you don’t have HIV and don’t want to get it you should either not have sex or
use condoms.”
Kyiv Post staff writer Daryna Shevchenko can be reached at [email protected]
