Stara Zagora, July 30-31, 2015
Another training for prisoners on health topics was conducted by BFPA team under the project „Prisons Without Risk” on 30 and 31 July 2015 in the prison of Stara Zagora. For the two days 32 prisoners were trained on topics connected with the personal hygiene, blood transmitted and sexually transmitted infections, as well on the specificity of HIV infection.
The young men in the group were on different educational level: from just enrolled the first grade up to high school graduated or completed some of the lower grades. Many questions were asked and it was obvious that the training on these topics is of extreme importance fro them. There were questions on: are the bed-bugs dangerous concerning blood transmitted infections; what is Hepatitis C; can the high temperature damage the testicles; if and why it is dangerous to implant paraffin/small balls in the penis; could a virgin girl infect you with sexual transmitted infectionsено; do we present these topics in every prison in the country...
Asked for a feedback after the trainings the inmates give the following things mainly:
- Not to use mutual needles.
- Safer sex practices.
- To use gloves while giving help to a bleeding person.
The trainers Prof. Radka Argirova, virologist, dr. Radosveta Stamenkova and Daniela Dikova from BFPA, Milen Chavrov from Hope Against AIDS Foundation were supported in their work by Toni Toncheva from DGSS, Ralitsa Zgalevska and Boryana Parashkevova from BFPA.
The project “Prisons without risk – a pilot initiative for preventing the spread of blood transmitted and sexually transmitted infections in three selected Bulgarian prisons” has duration до 14 months (March 2015 – April 2016). Its aim is to improve the health status of persons serving sentence of "imprisonment" and detainees through provision of services and information to improve health awareness of vulnerable communities in prisons in Plovdiv, Stara Zagora and Sliven.
Besides health issues within the project there will be also educational sessions for prisoners, detainees and staff from the three prisons on the rights of access to healthcare and health services.
You can find more about the project here
This publication is created with financial support from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2009-2014. The entire responsibility for the contents of the document is of BFPA and under no circumstances can be assumed that this document presents official opinion of the Programme Operator or the donor.
