World AIDS Day

Each year on December 1, the global community unites to highlight the importance of combating HIV/AIDS. Karazin University joins this initiative, encouraging everyone to reflect on this issue, dispel myths, and help build a tolerant society.

HIV is not a sentence. Modern medicine allows people living with HIV to lead fulfilling lives, provided they receive timely treatment. The disease does not define a person or their rights. Today, over 38 million people worldwide live with HIV. In Ukraine, as of 2023, approximately 260,000 individuals are HIV-positive, yet about 30% are unaware of their status. This underscores the importance of regular testing, which can be done free of charge and confidentially.

Where to Get Help?

Ukraine has a well-developed network of support programs. HIV testing services can be accessed:

• At healthcare facilities covered by 13 packages under the medical guarantees program (family doctors, outpatient clinics, surgical facilities, and others);
• Through non-governmental organizations working with key and vulnerable populations;
• At home, independently using oral tests, which can be ordered for free at: prozdorovia.in.ua, oraltest.org.ua.

You can find the nearest HIV testing point using the chatbot #ТЕСТпоруч or on the website testporuch.phc.org.ua. Here, you can assess your own HIV risk and learn where and how to get tested: at a medical facility, a friendly NGO, or independently at home.

Talking about HIV is about our society, tolerance, mutual support, and responsibility. We must stay informed, get tested, and protect ourselves and our loved ones.