The rate of HIV infections
and the overall number of people infected are growing
very rapidly in Russia at the this time. Travellers should
be aware of this and never share needles or engage in
unprotected sexual activity. In general, the government
has done little to educate people. There is a rather prudish
attitude about this and of course limited resources for
public health, despite a fair amount of sexual promiscuity
and rampant drug use in some areas. Travellers should
be particularly aware that some experts have estimated
that 1% of the population or more has been infected in
Irkutsk. Be safe!
