Penza, 9 April 2015. PenzaNews. Sergei Oleinik, Anti-AIDS public foundation president, deputy chief medical officer on epidemiology for the Penza region special medical care center, discussed the HIV incidence reports in the region.

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“In Q1 2015, we registered 110 new HIV cases in the Penza region (with only 95 in Q1 2014). The regions with high incidence would call that a trifle... But it is a shame losing the state we earned! As of April 1, 2015, the most HIV-affected areas in the Penza region are Kuznetsk with 412 cases per 100,000 people, Zarechny with 235.6 cases, Kuznetsky area with 234.7 cases, and Penza with 161.5,” he wrote in his LiveJournal.

Before 2010, Penza was the 9th in the incidence rating, Sergei Oleinik reminded.

“But the genie is now out of the bottle, and Penza is already the fourth, and the incidence rate has exceeded the average regional level. The incidence is above regional average in Issinsky area with 154 cases per 100,000, and in Luninsky area with143.9 cases. In the first quarter 2015, the HIV incidence reached 6.2 cases per 100,000. This is 18.1% more compared to the 2013 levels. The incidence rate in Penza is 9.9 cases per 100 thousand. What does that mean? At year-end, the data will show more than 40 cases per 100,000,” the Anti-AIDS public foundation president said.

He also added that the Russian Federal Penitentiary Department of the Penza region registered 30% growth of newly diagnosed HIV cases.

“During Q1 2015, 20 HIV infected patients died, and only 13 have passed away during Q1 2014. If we are talking about the treatment quality, then the death-rate should not be that high, but only if the majority of these deaths are not among drug addicts,” Sergei Oleinik clarified.

According to him, Penza has the greatest impact on the situation in the whole region: 23 out of 51 newly HIV infected Penza residents were revealed to use drugs intravenously.

“Also, the bulk of newly HIV-diagnosed people has an increasing percentage. They were 62.5% of the infected in Q1 2015. This shows that the epidemic has become more generalized, when HIV begins to actively spread through sexual contacts. Unfortunately, our specialists note that there are a lot of young good mothers among the victims of the epidemic, who were not aware that HIV is transmitted sexually and that the most reliable means of protection is a condom,” the physician wrote.

He added that more than 1% of pregnant women do not register in the prenatal clinics and arrive directly to the hospital or give birth at home, which does not allow to carry out the necessary tests.

“And sometimes, there are HIV-infected mothers who give birth but avoid coming to the AIDS center,” Sergei Oleinik added.

According to him, the main obstacles to registering in a prenatal clinic is difficult access to specialists at the clinic level, the lack of rooms for trusted doctors for women in troubled social standing, and bad attitude towards such patients.

“Well, who should solve these problems? I believe we have questions to ask to the AIDS center obstetrician on the work of obstetric service. However, why should only medical professionals be responsible for this? Is it the time to bring the city leaders to account for failing the HIV preventive measures? Is it all that they can do but fireworks and street cleaning? I mean, in terms of just showing off?” the Anti-AIDS public foundation president asked.