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Romania didn't have a law to protect the people with HIV/AIDS until less than two years ago. Only in November 2002, as a result of a continuous international pressure and criticism from different human rights organisations abroad, the Parliament discussed and voted such a law.
The law protects the people living with HIV/AIDS from social exclusion. It mentions the right to health care, to attend schools, to work. According to the same law, whoever knows is infected and spreads the disease can be convicted.
Authorities in northern Romania had to tackle a huge scandal last month, after some doctors discovered that a young man had donated infected blood at a hospital, in Iasi. The man was surprised to find out he was HIV infected. He was sent to the Infectious Diseases Hospital, to undergo a thorough blood examination.
"This case is not singular", Liana Velica, representative of the Anti-AIDS Romanian Association (ARAS), told the media. "The ideal situation would be for people to willingly undergo HIV testing instead of donating infected blood and only then to discover that they are sick", she said.
Like other Romanian organisations, ARAS is working to combat the lack of information about the virus. It has started various programs to counsel the people with HIV/AIDS. The less informed about the disease; however, prove to be the healthy people.
Mihai believes that people don't know anything or too little about the virus because getting to read or listen to others talk about it just makes them feel uncomfortable.
"In their minds, HIV is associated with a feeling that their life is somehow threatened".
"On the other hand, I have heard people saying that HIV is only the result of promiscuity or drug use and they are convinced that since they lead a way of life, there is no possibility that they get infected. So why bother getting informed about AIDS?"
Mihai thinks that there are many diseases that have a stigma attached to them, but the one which goes with HIV is the strongest. "This is simply because of an overwhelming fear of infection", he says.
The case which happened in Vrancea County, where two children living with HIV were kicked out of school last week, is just a follow-up of some other incidents, in the same area, in June this year and which proved once again what the lack of information can lead to.
Over 130 residents of the same village gathered signatures in protest and then turned to violence after they found out that the authorities wanted to set up a home for children infected with HIV/AIDS near their community.
Most of the villagers opposed the EU-financed project because, they told the media, they were afraid of the sick children. They were convinced that the disease would spread over the entire village. Surprisingly, many of the protesters thought one could get infected with AIDS from water or from mosquitoes, by touching the hens or even the objects that had been touched by a person infected with the virus.
At the time, the department for public health promised to launch a campaign to inform the villagers on the aspects related to HIV/AIDS infection. Finally, on September the 8th, the children arrived at their new home.
"I am not surprised this has happened", Claudia Catana, information officer with the Romanian Angel Appeal foundation says.
"Their reaction was only natural, considering that they didn't know a thing about the disease. The persons in charge of the project should have given all the information to the villagers first and then start building the home for the infected kids".
As for careless remarks and unfair treatment, Mihai says that this behaviour still upsets him, although he has been diagnosed for so many years now. "When it comes from the people least expected, this makes it doubly hurtful".
He says that, in the past few months, he has found out that animals' company can be more soothing. "My mother has brought me a puppy as a birthday present. This was the best gift I have ever got. My dog gives me total, unconditional love. He is always on my side and I can tell him anything, without fear that he is going to judge me in any way".
However, Mihai admits that even his dog can't always make him forget about his disease better than it could have been with a human friend, just as it happens with his medication.
"I take over 20 types of medicine to keep me from getting sick, but sometimes it doesn't work. At that time, putting together those two words, and , just seems ridiculous".
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Daniela Tuchel
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