DanChurchAid
Russia
The nightbus of Sct. Petersburg
14/05/2008:
In St. Petersburg, Humanitarian Action addresses the problem of increasing HIV infections, distributing syringes and condoms to those primarily driving the epidemic forward: injecting drug users. Read this report from Maj Kastanje in St. Petersburg, where she works as a trainee with DCA’s partner Humanitarian Action.
“Nasha, nasha!”- Ours, ours! Irina and Viktoria burst out in unison from the front seat. Igor hits the breaks and pulls the bus over, next to a young woman standing on the sidewalk. She looks at the bus curiously and a little sceptically, until Irina opens the door asking her to come inside.
We are in one of St. Petersburg’s suburbs. It’s February and minus 10 degrees Celsius outside. It is cold working as a street sex worker at this time a year, but fortunately it is warm inside Humanitarian Actions mini-bus – a rebuilt camper van. It circles St. Petersburg’s streets five days a week helping the women, who mainly work in the sex industry to maintain a heroin abuse. Their present life situation is primarily the result of the social and economical deroute in Russia during the 90’s. The Humanitarian Action bus provide the women with small bags, containing five syringes, five disinfectant napkins and 15 condoms to protect them against HIV infection or passing on HIV to others.
No Rights
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| Syringes and condoms are used in the fight against the spread of HIV. Women returning used syringes in the container, designed for that purpose. Thoses who return used syringes can receive an equivalent number of clean ones. This women returned nearly 130 used syringes. Photo: Maj Kastanje |
“The most important thing in our work is that the women trust us”, says Victoria and explains that drug users are often harassed when contacting public clinics for HIV treatment or complications related to drug use. However, the atmosphere in the bus is friendly and accommodating. A small card showing only their initials and date of birth identifies the women to the staff, who control the distribution of materials.
It has recently become more difficult for drug users to buy clean injection equipment from night pharmacies in St. Petersburg. Local police squads hang around the pharmacies, ready to check if the customers are in possession of illegal drugs. For some police officers this is a way to make a little extra cash from bribes.
Previously, clients of Humanitarian Action were also bothered by the police when they used the services of the busses. After the organization conducted seminars for police officers, explaining the importance of Harm Reduction, this is no longer a problem.
At double risk
The need for this kind of HIV prevention in Russia is evident, since the growing HIV epidemic is mainly driven forward by injecting drug users, infecting each other through needle sharing. The women serviced by the bus are at double risk of getting infected or infecting others due to needle sharing and unsafe sex. By focusing on this group, Humanitarian Action tries to stop HIV from spreading in to the general population via the women. Often, it is the clients of sex workers who decline using condoms, pushing the women to engage in unsafe sex, even though they are well aware of the risks.
More than needles and condoms
However, there is more to the work than distribution of remedies to prevent HIV. ”Of course they come here to get the materials, but they also come to talk about their life and problems with someone who doesn’t judge them”, says Irina, who worked in the bus for about two years. She knows what she is talking about, being a former administrator in a massage saloon. She is able, from a long distance, to point out which women are sex workers and thus in the target group, and which are just standing on the sidewalk waiting for the bus. ”Most of the girls are regulars, but every day a few new ones are enrolled”, she says.
| Hiv/aids in Russia |
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| The epidemic in Russia is worsening, and so is the discrimination of people living with hiv/aids. Read the new DCA report
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A long process
Word about the bus is spread in the milieu and by a few doctors in clinics around the city.
The lifestyle related to sex work and drug use often leads to a range of problems. Therefore the bus also offers immediate psychological and medical assistance from Igor, who is not only a driver, but also a doctor and a psychiatrist. When further help is needed or when one of the women wants to quit her drug use, she can be enrolled in Humanitarian Actions case management programme, that will help her through the system.
”We tell the women that we are ready to help them, but we don’t push them into quitting the drugs. They have to be emotionally ready and know, that becoming clean is a lengthy process”, says Viktoria and adds: ”It’s their own choice and they have to make that decision by themselves.”
By Maj Kastanje, Intern, DanChurchAid/Humanitarian Action in St. Petersburg.
