Nine new cases of HIV that were recorded in young Cypriots from December 1, 2013 to January 20 are raising concerns in Cyprus, according to the president of the support center for HIV/AIDS patients, Stella Michailidou.
Following a briefing by the Cypriot parliament’s health committee on the Strategic Plan for Tackling AIDS, Michailidou said to MP’s that a slight increase in HIV infection in young people aged 19-30 has been recorded over the past few months. She argued that the financial crisis will further increase HIV infection rates and that informing the general public about HIV/AIDS should be of the utmost priority.
According to the center’s president, rising unemployment has caused many problems for HIV sufferers, who may receive some unemployment benefit from the state, but should also get an additional state benefit for buying their medication. She added that even HIV positive patients who have a job should be entitled to this proposed benefit, as lower Cypriot wages are not able to cover the cost of these drugs. In the last six months, more and more HIV positive men and women have begun prostituting themselves to earn money.
The main factors leading to more HIV cases are risky sexual behavior, movement of the population and increases in drug use, said Michailidou. Fryni Venardi, chairman of the charitable foundation of the Grigoriou Clinic in Larnaca, emphasized that infection rates are increasing because “information on AIDS has been put completely on hold.” Commercials should be aired on T.V., while soldiers and students in high schools should be thoroughly informed.
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