The crackpot conspiracy theories and deadly denial fuelling Russia’s HIV epidemic
Moscow — Fewer than half of Russians with HIV are taking antiretroviral drugs, in part because of a conspiracy theory that the AIDS-causing virus is a myth invented by the West, officials and activists say. While AIDS-related deaths and new HIV infections are falling across the globe, in Eastern Europe and Central Asia statistics grow more alarming by the year. According to official figures, 80 people died daily from AIDS-related issues in Russia in the first six months of 2017, up from about 50 daily deaths in 2016. More than 900,000 Russians are living with HIV today, with 10 new cases every hour, according to figures published by the government. But fewer than half are getting the medication that could help them lead a normal life and prevent them from passing on the virus. Many declined to take the drugs voluntarily after reading online that HIV is a myth, officials said. Many of those without therapy "don’t want treatment for various reasons", said pro-Kremlin legislator Alexan...
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