Молодежный инновационный вестникМолодежный инновационный вестник2415-7805Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение высшего образования "Воронежский государственный медицинский университет имени Н.Н. Бурденко" Министерства здравоохранения Российской Федерации3756Conference ProceedingsHIV IN RUSSIAN MEDIA: CURRENT TRENDS IN COVERAGEGlazunovaI V-TikhonovR V-StebletsovaA O-Voronezh State Federal Medical University named after N.N.Burdenko, Voronezh, Russian Federationforeign Language Chair150420176240240424042020Copyright © 2017, Молодежный инновационный вестник2017Abstract: The research reveals existent public HIV and AIDS related issues today and the possible role of mass media in contributing to their prevention, and developing correct attitude to it in the society. Introduction: Since the last decade of the 20th century HIV and AIDS have become an urgent medical and social problem as well as a hot public debate issue. Although there is a large amount of reliable research on HIV and AID now, common people still tend to associate both conditions with unsupported beliefs and non-scientific stereotypes. In this aspect the role of media for an open discussion about HIV and AIDS cannot be overestimated. Media are influential, and are able to address the society with complex and sensitive topics [1]. Enlightened, courageous, and accurate journalism can have a huge impact on the audience which then can lean to a social change. Media have a great potential and a huge responsibility to use it for the public benefit. This is the area for a thorough research into the interplay between media and healthcare practitioners with the aim of expanding public awareness about HIV and AIDS. Objective: The research is to identify HIV and AIDS related topics and their coverage in current Russian media and their potential contribution to health promotion. Material and methods: statistic data presentation on HIV/AIDS prevalence on global and regional scale, descriptive analysis of misbelieves and attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the society, textual and contextual review of current narratives in modern Russian media. Results and discussion:Global scale Today there are more than 36, 7 million people diagnosed with HIV. The annual prevalence of HIV has decreased slightly from 3.0 million in 2001 to 2,1 million in 2015. Globally, the HIV epidemic has flattened out, although the rate of new HIV cases and AIDS death remains high [2]. According to the Russian consumer protection agency (Rospotrebnadzor ) the total number of registered HIV cases in the Russian Federation reached 1,006,675 people on December 31, 2015. For 6 months of 2016 There was a marked increase by 4.2% of registered 43531 new cases of HIV infection, with morbidity rate of 29.8 per 100 thousand people at 41707 cases for the half year 2015 of the year. Fourteen-year period (from 2001), in which the predominant transmission route was unprotected sexual contacts, changed in 2015 to be replaced by another route use of intravenous drugs. In the first half of 2016 the share of the modes of HIV transmission accounted for 66.3% of all cases, with the transmission set by, for men was higher and amounted to 72.6%. This trend was the result of changes in the "drug scene", resulting in the shift of drug addicts to new synthetic drugs. It is known that the addiction to synthetic drugs creates additional risks in terms of HIV infection because drug addicts tend to make a group of mostly strangers who might have with a large number of injections within a few days sharing the same syringes or other devices. Men (84.3%) are most infected through intravenous use of psychoactive substances. The epidemiological prognosis is critically unfavorable. Here are the current trends of the HIV epidemic in Russia: - it dominates among young people, however, the number of teenagers involved in the epidemic is decreasing; - the population of newly diagnosed HIV is aging, the epidemic is spreading to older age groups; - the number of HIV positive women is increasing. Regional scale Voronezh region takes 74 place in terms of prevalence among the regions of the Russian Federation: the number of people living with HIV / AIDS (PLWHA) in 30.06.2016 totaled 2,255 persons 96.7 per 100 thousand people, of which only the inhabitants of the region 2,102 people (0.09% of the population) [3]. The Voronezh Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS is the head agency for HIV patients. Its aims are the following: confirmation of the diagnosis, laboratory testing, diagnosing of secondary and accompanying diseases, antiretroviral therapy. Annually Voronezh Center carries out such activities related to the education of the population as HIV prevention campaigns in the form of advertising benches. On the 80 benches in the four administrative districts of the city placed public service ads urging to learn their HIV status. Another major undertaking was the placement of a similar advertising on the sides of city bus routes (23K, 33K). The center’s training programs in health promotion include the creation of opportunities for people to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for an informed change of their own behavior in the field of health. Such programs may include providing information, clarification of values and attitudes, working out of solutions and skills development. Mass media coverage of HIV and AIDS Mass media play a leading role in shaping public opinion of significant social problems including HIV and AIDs. Most often media reports present a dramatic story of the devastating impact of drugs, they give a description of human failure, and bring the confession of a HIV-positive drug addict. Despite of the availability of evidence-based research on HIV, some people have inaccurate information about the routes of HIV transmission, which in turn might lead to irrational behavior and misconceptions regarding personal risk of infection. HIV-positive people are seen as guilty and are associated with social misbehavior patterns such as homosexuality, drug addiction, prostitution. This, consequently, leads to a loss of reputation, loss of income, marriage and childbearing options, poor healthcare and phycological damage. Recommendations on HIV prevention are not always comprehensible. Common public is not fully aware of the problem. HIV is often considered to be a vague threat, which relates only to risk groups. It should be pointed out that the majority of all reports on HIV come out on December, 1 World AIDS Day, when various actions, press conferences, competitions are held and HIV and AIDS are in the limelight of the media worldwide. Unfortunately, the rest of the year HIV, AIDS and drug addiction go back into the shadow. Media fail to repeatedly inform the audience of the necessity of protected sexual contacts and grave dangers of drugs. Moreover, the information may be outdated or inaccurate as it is mostly delivered by non-medical sources such as government agencies and domestic and international news agencies rather than HIV and AIDS researchers or medical professionals. Possible solutions for HIV and AIDS coverage improvement There is considerable empirical evidence showing that mass media can be used for attitude and behavioral changes associated with HIV and AIDS, as well as related to HIV knowledge and less stigmatizing attitude towards PLWHA [4].Mass media sources, such as TV programs, newspapers and magazines, were more frequently identified as the channels for HIV information than interpersonal sources, such as friends and service providers. Those that employ television media appear to be most cost-effective, as television broadcasts reach the majority of the population [5].According to Federal Radio Research and Development Institute national television covers 99% of population in Russia compared to 70, 4% of all people aged 16 and older having access to Internet. The effectiveness of interventions is influenced not only by the type of channel of delivery but also by the level of exposure to media messages. For example, a study of an HIV/AIDS mass media campaign in Kenya revealed a dose- response relationship, whereby a higher intensity of exposure to the campaign media led to more favorable outcomes such as safer sex, higher perceived self-efficacy in condom use negotiation and higher perceived condom-efficacy. Conclusion: The research has revealed that currently HIV and drug addiction prevention issues are not among most widely primarily covered by the Russian media. Thus, for the formation of a correct attitude towards the scale and significance of HIV and drug addiction, a systematic and serious approach is needed and the quality of the articles are more important than the number of publications. The attention to these issues must be constant and consistent while currently media exploit sensations and scandals to trigger public interest to social issues. Sensation has become a criterion of success and popularity of a newspaper, TV program or a web-site. This causes the situation in which HIV and AIDS are perceived as trivial and insignificant. It should be remembered that the media shape the public opinions and form attitude towards the problem. HIV and AIDS coverage in media ought to be public education about their prevention, creation of a truthful image of HIV - positive people, and a demonstration of positive examples about rehabilitation centers. This is where media are able to cooperate with healthcare professionals and to contribute to health promotion.[Valeria V. Enkova, Anna O. Stebletsova. 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