2018

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) stigma is the main obstacle for fighting against spread of HIV. Stigma is the reason why people are afraid to be tested regularly, get more information and talk about HIV.

There are more than 1 million people in Russia who have HIV infection. According to Russian Public Opinion Research Center vast of Russians consider that the problem of spreading HIV and AIDS is very important. However, most of them don’t even know the difference between the two of them. People with HIV in Russia have difficulties of adopting children, insure their property or life, travel abroad. Because of their HIV status they can be fired, lose family relations, be rejected in hospitals. 

I have made portraits of people that live with HIV and asked them about stigma and discrimination they faced with. During these dialogues I tried to understand their personality, lifeview and express it in the portarits.