Dr. Natalya Yesipenko, a physician from the Primorye Center for Preventive Medicine and the Fight against AIDS, met with ILS high school students, telling them about the immunodeficiency virus infection, the ways it is transmitted, and methods for prevention.
Dr. Yesipenko informed the students that “there are three ways of transmitting the HIV infection: sexual contact, “blood-to-blood” contact, and a mother to her newborn baby. No other ways exist. Through proper treatment and correct social behavior, people who are HIV-positive present no danger to the general population.”
Natalya Yesipenko also provided data on the number of HIV-positive people in our country and its regions, indicating that Vladivostok is in 4th place among Primorye cities. It is not clear how the virus originated and many opinions exist. The doctor stressed the importance of being careful about your own health and behaving responsibly towards others.
“We live in modern society and we cannot simply close our eyes to this problem,” notes ILS Principal Olga Shevchenko. “Our high school students must know about the disease in order to protect themselves and those around them, and they must realize that responsibility for their health ultimately rests with them.”
