RUSSIA: First Study Of HIV Amongst Gay Men and Prositutes

<p>Despite cutting the budget for Aids prevention in half this year, the Russia government has announced it is to launch a study on the spread of HIV amongst gay people and prostitutes.</p> <p>by Newsdesk | 2nd August 2013</p> <p>• Russian Government cut Aids prevention budget from $12m (£7.9m) to $6m (£3.9m) this year </p><p></p><p>• Around 703,000 as of November 2012 people are infected with HIV in Russia.</p><p></p><p>• 83% of HIV infections were registered amongst injecting drug users.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/government-to-conduct-first-study-of-hiv-among-gays-prostitutes/484007.html?">The Moscow Times</a> is reporting that the Russian government is to conduct the first ever study of HIV amongst gay people and prositutes </p><p></p><p>The study will be conducted by the Federal Scientific Center for the Prevention and the Fight Against AIDS.</p><p></p><p>Vadim Pokrovsky states that the research on the spread of HIV through the gay community has been ‘difficult’ because ‘the group is not legally defined.’</p><p></p><p>The study would cost several million Russian Roubles and would be conducted through polling and testing in various regions.</p><p></p><p>This year the budget for Aids prevention was slashed in half from $12m to $6m – the Moscow Times reports apparently for ‘ideological reasons.’</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p> </p>