Investigative reporting / Tajikistan
Every year, because of the carelessness of husbands dozens of healthy young women are infected with HIV, which is then transferred to their children. According to statistics, 70% of carriers of HIV are men, who do not warn their brides about the virus prior to the wedding. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon emphasized the key role of healthy and strong families in developing the country, and urged young couples to undergo a medical examination before marriage. However, HIV testing has a fee, public awareness is low, and sometimes people contract the virus in health facilities. (more…)
Once relatives kicked them out of the house, the women, depressed by the state of their health and negative attitudes toward them, have to worry about housing and domestic problems, rather than about their treatment. (more…)
According to a survey, 72 percent of Tajik women have contemplated suicide, and 24 percent of them have attempted suicide after finding out about having contracted human immunodeficiency virus. Although the disease is not transmitted through casual contact, due to illiteracy [on the matter], Tajik society prefer to avoid the carriers of the virus, and some even terrorize them. (more…)
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