I remember at the time, the stats on infection rates were getting pretty bad. Not like sub-Saharan Africa bad, but still bad. Sadly, a quick search does not suggest things have gotten any better. This article from 2015 mostly focuses on how the government is fucking the dog on the issue: From here (autoplay video warning), we have this: Russian government statistics show that more than half of new infections are transmitted through intravenous drug use. And the rate of infection is rising. Finally, this one is local (although I know nothing about the publication). Still, if I'm reading the headline correctly, it says that Russia had more (new?) HIV infections than the rest of Europe combined. Sadly all these articles pretty much suggest the same thing: a combination of conservative policies (that gut spending, refuse to allow sex ed, and basically pretend the problem doesn't exist) and IV drug use."Look at what they are currently doing with their budget. Will we get more signs on the metro telling us HIV doesn't occur in monogamous relationships?" Malyshev said, referring to a current public information campaign on the Moscow subway. The signs read: "Love and loyalty to your partner is your protection from AIDS" and "HIV isn't transferred through friendship."
According to the United Nations' UNAIDS program, Russia had the third-highest number of new HIV infections globally in 2015, behind South Africa and Nigeria.
That's Russia's way of dealing with any serious problem. My hope is that, once the USSR generation dies off, the younger people would be more willing to have a conversation about sex, sexuality and related issues. Right now, sex ed is maybe a thing of two private schools. HIV? "Just don't do it". Those are terrifying stats, to be frank. "behind South Africa and Nigeria" - fuck! P.S. Kommersant is, to my knowledge, a respectable newspaper, but I'm no expert.and basically pretend the problem doesn't exist
We have no small amount of that here, as you've no doubt seen. I think it's simply human nature: we're hard-wired to ignore contrary evidence, especially when it's something that our egos get wrapped up in (such as group affiliation).