Sofia, December 1, 2017
Nowadays more than ever there is a need to think on how we talk on HIV and AIDS, how media deliver messages and how we behave towards people, living with HIV. The Bulgarian Family Planning and Sexual Health Association (BFPA) challenges everyone: let’s think about how PLHIV bear the stigmatization, still present from the previous time inertia. The science is developing and progressing in its discoveries and this happens including in the area of researches concerning HIV. The HIV-infection today is treated as a chronicle disease. But insufficient information, not fully understanding of the specifics of HIV/AIDS by everyone, even by health professionals are a barrier on the adequate attitude and understanding of the issue.
Last year BFPA published the book ‘Survivors Handbook’ by Milen Chavrov and Ivana Murdjeva, long year NGO activists working on issues connected with the prevention of HIV and stigma towards people living with HIV. This year we continue to work together with them and one more member of their team, wishing to stay anonymous, and we launch Aids Press – a working platform at which information, research and thoughts on HIV and AIDS are going to be published. The space has an ambition to comment the media language, the approaches and to monitor and correct its adequacy.
Our colleagues from branches Ruse and Pleven – Kina Velcheva and Dr. Krasimir Romanov – at October 30th and December 1st have worked with pupils on topic. Part of our volunteers from Sofia in the late afternoon hours of the World AIDS Day were in Park Center, where they stopped and provoked visitors with questions on topic and gave them brochures and condoms, supported by us, Y-PEER and Loveguide.
Of course BFPA continue to work for prevention via our campaign for responsible sexual behaviour Condom with a Cause and mainstream the topic in all our trainings and activities, where appropriate.
