Vadim Pokrovsky, an academic and the Head of the Russian Anti-AIDS and HIV Federal Centre, believes that homosexuals were one of the first ones in Russia who completely understood the threat that HIV infection imposed on the society.
Today, according to his words, the percentage of infected people "among LGBT community does not exceed the level among heterosexuals". "They (homosexuals) realized the HIV threat early and were the first to take precaution measures... But in general, the Russian society is nihilistic about AIDS", stated Prof. Pokrovsky in an interview for "The Evening Moscow".
At the same time Prof. Pokrovsky accused National mass-media in contributing to the AIDS and HIV-virus dissemination, sayng that "mass-media praise to the skies pre-marital sexual encounters and even say that they do somebody good". The head of the National Anti-AIDS and HIV Federal Centre admitted that three main ways of HIV spread among people in Moscow are among drug users, prostitutes and "homosexuals". "As far as numbers tell, Pokrovsky said, so far we have detected 35 thousands of HIV infected people who are officially registered in Moscow and 20 thousands - who do not have the "propiska" in Moscow area."
Translated by Yerdna Bananes