The Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Estonian Network of People Living with HIV have joined forces to strengthen the position of people living with HIV. Over the next two years, significant work is planned in the areas of awareness, prevention, combating stigma and discrimination, as well as ensuring access to quality services and support for the community.
PRESS RELEASE
GENEVA, 13 July 2023—A new report released today by UNAIDS shows that there is a clear path that ends AIDS. This path will also help prepare for and tackle future pandemics and advance progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The report, ‘The Path that Ends AIDS’, contains data and case studies which highlight that ending AIDS is a political and financial choice, and that the countries and leaders who are already following the path are achieving extraordinary results.
Seminar: “Building Community through Art and Stories: Community-Building for participants identifying as HIV+ and LGBT+”
JEF Estonia and the Estonian Network of People Living with HIV organized a joint seminar titled “Building Community through Art and Stories: Community-Building for participants identifying as HIV+ and LGBT+.” The seminar aimed to expand the opportunities for participants from the HIV+ and LGBT+ communities. During the seminar, participants shared their experiences, personal stories, challenges, and their vision for the future of the HIV+ and LGBT+ communities.
As part of the seminar, a lecture on HIV infection was presented, covering basic and vital aspects, the importance of prevention and treatment, as well as where and how to undergo HIV testing in Estonia. The entire event was conducted interactively, allowing each participant to ask questions or share their personal stories at any time.
Participants actively engaged in the “Identity Collage” activity, where they expressed what defines them as individuals through creativity: their origins, hobbies, worldviews, problems, and more. Observing the participants’ reactions to the identity collages was fascinating, as it clearly showed the delicate thread that we are all different yet simultaneously the same.
The next activity, the “Human Library,” allowed seminar participants to hear three stories related to joys and challenges within the HIV+ and LGBT+ communities. The speakers freely shared their life journeys and how they overcame obstacles. The speakers’ stories shed light on many issues that exist in today’s HIV+ and LGBT+ communities, including stigma, discrimination, and violations of basic human rights.
The “Art Therapy Seminar: Embracing Our Stories” had a special impact on the participants as it contributed to the maintenance and improvement of mental well-being. The essence of the seminar was that each participant could learn meditation and various art therapy techniques to find inner balance and harmony within themselves, without relying on external assistance in the future.
The concluding stage was a panel discussion with Lachin Aliyev, the founder of the Estonian Network of People Living with HIV. Participants had the opportunity to freely ask questions regarding the history of HIV infection in Estonia and worldwide, the problems that need to be addressed, and what needs to be done first and foremost: respecting others and accepting people as they are.
We have fantastic news for guests of “Hello Bar” and all community members! We are delighted to announce our new partnership with the Estonian Network of People Living with HIV.
As a result of this collaboration, the Estonian network is providing us with free condoms and lubricants. Now we have free access to reliable protection and safety. We value the health and well-being of our community.
Additionally, the Estonian Network of People Living with HIV invites you to their office to receive free rapid tests for HIV, Hepatitis C and Syphilis. This is an important step for our health and well-being. Here, we can not only get tested but also receive professional support and counseling.
We invite every member of our club to take advantage of this unique offer. Come to our club to get free condoms and lubricants. And dont forget about the opportunity to take medical tests at the Estonian Networks office.
We thank the Estonian Network of People Living with HIV for their support. Together, we can take care of our health and create a safe and friendly environment for everyone.
Instagram: hellobartln Website and Instagram: ehpv.ee
LGBT+/HIV+: Building Community through Art and Stories
Let’s develop Empathy!
Here’s an online quest that will change your knowledge about HIV/AIDS.
Empathy is the capacity to understand the feelings of another person and experience them from their side.
For example, when you meet a happy person, you simply smile back. Similarly when you see a sad person you feel sad.
Despite the fact that it’s not 90’s anymore, knowledge about HIV is still surrounded by myths, prejudices and ignorance.
The Estonian Network of People living with HIV (EHPV) and Design Studio Decode3077 would like to introduce you to a new way to get rid of the misinformation about HIV and presenting an interactive online quest : Empathy development.
On this interesting journey the participants will travel in time into the future and take a role of a scientist.
What is the task?
It’s to develop a medical network to eliminate HIV-related stigma.
It is an interesting and engaging game that will help you understand HIV issues, stimulate thinking and listen to dialogues of people diagnosed with HIV.
The quest is available in four languages:
Estonian, English, Ukrainian and Russian.
It is available on all devices such as computers, tablets, smartphones running iOS or android.
You can also get information about Estonian Network of People living with HIV, to become a volunteer with us or become a partner/sponsor.
Take part in this project and make the world a better place!
Link to the project: https://ehpv.vercel.app/
Contacts:
EHPV:
Email: ehpv@ehpv.ee
Tel: +372 58706070
Decode3077:
Email: decode3077@gmail.com
Tel: +372 53054318
Data and all materials have copyright protection, so please do not use them without permission.
Estonia’s parliament has approved a law that will legalise same-sex marriage, making it the first central European country to do so.
The bill received 55 votes in the 101-seat parliament and will take effect in January 2024.
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told Reuters that “it’s a difficult fight, but marriage and love is something that you have to promote” in central Europe.
“We have developed a lot in those 30 years, since we have freed ourselves from the (Soviet) occupation. We are equals among same-value countries.”
An opinion poll conducted in 2023 found that 53 per cent of Estonians are in favour of same-sex marriage, a number that was at just 34 per cent a decade ago.
Approximately 75 per cent also support anti-discrimination laws that protect LGBTQ+ people, while more than seven in 10 (71 per cent) showed their support for civil partnerships.
READ MORE: Estonia set to become first ex-Soviet state to back same-sex marriage
A total of 85 amendments will be made to the country’s Family Law Act and other legislation, which will see the words “man and woman” replaced with “two natural persons”.
https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/life/estonia-votes-to-legalise-same-sex-marriage
June 5th is recognized as HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (HLTSAD). Currently, there are approximately 300,000 individuals who acquired HIV prior to 1996, which is before effective antiretroviral therapy became available.
On this day, the United States Ambassador to Estonia, George P. Kent, met with representatives of Estonian Network of People living with HIV (EHPV) – www.ehpv.ee.
It is very symbolic that this meeting took place on the day when, 40 years ago in 1981, the first report was published on the condition that later became known as “AIDS.”
During the meeting, there was an exchange of opinions on living with HIV, socially significant diseases in Estonia, including among Ukrainian refugees who have received temporary protection, as well as the role played by community representatives, non-governmental organizations, and the importance of collaboration. It was emphasized at the meeting that we cannot weaken our efforts in combating epidemics, many of which, including HIV/AIDS, have been exacerbated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is necessary to continue the fight against the spread of HIV, expanding cooperation with affected communities, raising awareness about the virus, and closely collaborating with experts in this field.
In the first report on AIDS, five cases of the “mysterious disease” affecting young gay men were extensively described.
Effective HIV treatment (combination antiretroviral therapy) only emerged 15 years later, in 1996. Individuals who acquired HIV or were born with it before 1996 are considered “survivors of the epidemic.”
HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day is dedicated to the resilience and strengths of those who have survived the AIDS epidemic. Today, people living with HIV for over 27 years remind us of themselves and their needs. They have set the agenda and priorities for “moving forward”:
“People living with HIV deserve dignified aging” is the motto under which HLTSAD events are taking place this year and will continue throughout 2023.
Over the past 40 years, more than 77 million people worldwide have been infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and at least 35 million of them have died due to complications caused by Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which is the terminal stage of HIV development.
The Estonian Network of People Living with HIV is pleased to announce that during the main event Baltic Pride parade, there will be an opportunity to undergo rapid HIV testing from 15:00 to 17:00.
Rapid HIV tests are a reliable and effective way to determine the presence of the virus in the body. They provide quick results, eliminating the need for long waiting times. Our specialists will be available to conduct tests, answer questions related to HIV, and provide consultations on other health matters. The testing and consultation services we offer are confidential.
Additionally, you can receive free condoms, lubricants, and informational materials. Don’t forget to visit https://ehpv.ee/lgbtiq/?lang=en as well as the booth of the Estonian Network of People Living with HIV with support of National Institute for Health Development.
NTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S DAY – June 1, Today
International Children’s Day is celebrated annually on June 1 in different parts of the world as an initiative for children’s well-being and rights.
Dramatic progress has been made in reducing the number of children born with HIV. Building on the success of the Global Plan towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive, a commitment to accelerate progress towards ending paediatric AIDS was adopted in the Political Declaration on Ending AIDS, adopted by United Nations Member States in June 2016. The Start Free Stay Free AIDS Free framework is based on achieving ambitious new targets for 2018 and 2020, embracing a life-cycle approach towards achieving an AIDS-free generation, with a focus on the first 0–24 years of age.