23% of HIV-Positive Suffer from Physical Violence
Around 23 percent of HIV-positive people in Estonia are victims of physical violence, a study by the Network of People Living with HIV has revealed.
Of those, a total of 26 percent said that the violence was inflicted on them by their partner or spouse.
According to Igor Sobolev, head of the network, their HIV-positive status is the main cause of negative feelings and experiences for the majority of the respondents. Internal stigma affects the psychological state of a person living with the disease more than any labeling by the outside world, he added.
The study also showed that 57 percent of respondents blame themselves for their illness, while around 20 percent blame others.
The number of HIV-infected people with suicidal thoughts is also alarming - around 10 percent of those questioned wanted to end their life, said Sobolev.
According to the study, around 8 percent of HIV-positive people were denied treatment by medical centers, while 6 percent of the respondents were denied family planning services. Around 25 percent have decided not to have children.
The study, which aimed to research the discrimination and stigmatization of HIV-positive people in Estonia, was the first of its kind as it was conducted by people who carry the disease themselves.
A total of 300 HIV-positive people were polled, of whom 80 percent were 25 to 39 years old, 63 percent were male and 37 percent female.
Ingrid Teesalu