How to protect oneself from HIV, when the number of new cases in Poland is growing faster than ever? Specialists from the Society for Family Development will tell festival participants about this.
Volunteers from the Society for the Development of the Family - Zielona Góra Branch will speak about safer sexual behaviour, psychosexual orientation and identity, sexual rights, as well as contraception, but above all about the prevention of HIV, HCV and other sexually transmitted diseases on 2-5 August during the Pol'and'Rock Festival. Their action is part of the project 'Love, youth, responsibility', for which TRR received a grant in the Positively Open competition.
The importance of providing this knowledge to young and not only young festival-goers is evidenced by the increasing numbers of newly diagnosed HIV infections in Poland. The epidemic is spreading. Last year was a record year with 2384 new cases, but 2023 promises to be even worse. Preliminary data for the first half of the year alone already indicate 1503 cases!
This is also why the TRR stand at Pol'and'Rock will be visible from afar. Visitors will be offered leaflets, brochures and educational posters, quizzes and competitions with prizes, as well as free prophylactic materials including male and female condoms. In addition, workshops on estimating the risk of HIV and HCV infection have been scheduled. However, even if someone ends up at the stall between workshop hours - nothing lost! "Throughout the day, every day of the festival, you will be able to talk to educators at the stand, who will be happy to share their knowledge on STD prevention and answer any questions. It is also worth visiting our stand to take a quick, free test for HIV, HCV and syphilis - if from the conversation it becomes clear that you need it". - Dr Joanna Dec-Pietrowska of the TRR Zielona Góra branch encourages.
If someone can't make it to the festival, they can always look at social media Family Development Society Zielona Góra, where there will be extensive coverage of what will be happening at the stand.
"HIV infections most often occur as a result of risky sexual behaviour, which is easier to occur during holidays and holidays. That is why I am glad that we could support the implementation of the TRR educational campaign at Pol'and'Rock Festival. In the fight against HIV, knowledge and prevention are the most important. I believe that thanks to the TRR campaign, participants of this event will learn more about HIV and will not join the rapidly growing group of people who need antiretroviral drugs," commented Paweł Mierzejewski of Gilead Sciences, coordinator of the Positively Open programme.
Positively Open Competition
The Pozytywnie Otwarci (Positively Open) competition is the oldest continuously running grant project focusing on HIV education and prevention, as well as promoting knowledge about the possibilities of a normal life with the virus. The competition is open to institutions that would like to run or already run programmes in the areas of education and activation, as well as HIV/AIDS prevention and diagnosis. The partners of the Programme are the Mayor of the Capital City of Warsaw, the National AIDS Centre, the National Institute of Public Health - National Research Institute, "Służba Zdrowia", Termedia publishing house and the company Gilead Sciences, which has already allocated 2 million PLN for grants allowing the implementation of competition projects.