Another pandemic wreaks havoc on SILENCE. “Test yourself!” Vâlcu: There is a risk that the man will not take his treatment or may have thoughts of revenge.

Another pandemic is wreaking havoc.

ARAS – The Romanian AIDS Association, a member of Coalition Plus, organized the first edition of the International HIV Testing Week in Romania. Many people have been able to get a free HIV test at home through a self-test.

50% of the cases discovered annually in Romania are diagnosed late, in advanced stages of HIV infection. In the first six months of 2020, 75% fewer HIV tests were performed than in the same period in 2019, as a result of measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 cases.

Mihai Lixandru, project manager for ARAS (Romanian AIDS Association), spoke on this topic on DC News and DC Medical.

“What we see in the first six months of this year is that 75% fewer tests were carried out than in the same period last year, which worries us. We tried and succeeded in reopening, after the period of isolation, the community testing centers of the Romanian Association against AIDS. Immediately afterwards, the number of positive cases increased, which, with the help of Bucharest hospitals, we managed to connect to services. Almost everyone started treatment. Two people refused to start treatment.

We want to remind you that there is more than one coronavirus. We also have an epidemic, even an HIV pandemic, that has been going on for 30 years. That is why it is important to test. During this period, we sent home self-tests, “said Mihai Lixandru.

The risk of self-testing

In this context, the journalist Val Vâlcu recalled an episode that occurred in the 90s.

“A famous photojournalist had been taking pictures at an infectious disease hospital, and at the bus stop next to the hospital, waiting for the car to take him to the newsroom, he saw a man coming out of there and talking to him himself, saying: I’m AIDS, I’m AIDS! The man was panicky, disoriented and scared my colleague who didn’t know what to do. He had no psychology studies to reassure him.

At that time, hospitals could not cope with these problems. They did not have psychologists, social workers, we are talking about the 90s. Self-evaluation is risky because you do not know how the person reacts. Perhaps it is tempting not to follow your treatment, perhaps you have thoughts of revenge. There were also stories of this type in the 90s, “said Val Vâlcu.