Some 940 HIV cases are registered in Russian Karelia and ten more are diagnosed every month. The situation is especially bad in Sortavala, just 60 kilometers east of the Finnish border.
A new campaign is now underway to slow the spread of the virus. Most infections are carried by under 30 year-olds, so information campaigns have been tailored to target teens in schools—particularly girls between the ages of 15 and 19, but some boys take part, too.
The pilot project teaches pupils about the virus, its spread and effects. Financing has been provided by the Finnish Foreign Ministry.
Finnish sex tourists
HIV education has just started at Sortavala School Number Three, where girls are taught about safe sex. Lessons not only cover the mechanics of the disease and its spread, but also attitudes. HIV carriers in Russia often meet with prejudice and discrimination.
"Those with the disease shouldn’t be ostracised," says Katja Surotsevan, adding that the course changed her attitude towards those infected.
The group’s young girls are also aware of what sex tourism from Finland can mean.
"Tourists from Finland can bring it with them,” says Nastja Kuznetsova.
Arina Konstantinova, a former student who volunteers in the city’s HIV centre, takes a different approach.
"If Finns come here for sex, they can also protect themselves,” she says.