Steps Forward in Facilitating the Access to HIV/STI Prevention Services for Vulnerable Groups
One of the constant preoccupation of the ACCEPT Association was the information and sensitize the public opinion and especially the professionals in the medical and psycho-social field to the specific LGBT (Lesbians, Gay, Bisexuals, Transgender) issue.
Therefore, through the Global Fund's financing - 6th Round, ACCEPT organized some training sessions to which attended physicians, nurses, counselors, psychologists and social assistants.
The purpose of these information and training sessions was to facilitate the access of the people from the LGBT community to good quality medical and support services, limiting and combating the discrimination based on the sexual orientation.
The results didn't play hard to get: it was initiated an action to encourage the access of the LGBT people to HIV prevention services.
This action benefited of the support of the Galati Public Health Authority (ASPJ), represented by Mrs. Deputy Director dr. Costinela Georgescu. The prevention activities, including the HIV pre and post testing counseling, the HIV test and also elaboration of a personalized plan to reduce the risk behavior, will be carried out through the Center of Voluntary Counseling and Testing (CCTV).
This center had been set up by the Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation in partnership with ASPJ Galati in 2004 within a project financed by Global Fund, 2nd Round. At the moment, CCTV is working with 2 HIV/AIDS counseling nurses, who benefited of training in HIV testing counseling, including the counseling for people who belong to some vulnerable groups.
In this respect, we present below an article published on March 8th -9th edition of Monitorul de Galati:
"The HIV-AIDS Galati Center also tries to attract the sexual minorities.The HIV/AIDS Counseling and Testing Center's staff who attended the workshop organized by ACCEPT Foundation - whose purpose was to increase the information level and convince the sexual minorities to resort to the medical-psycho-social services also provided by the public system - try now to convince the sexual minorities to resort anytime to their services.
"In principal, it is accepted that 5-10% of the population of each country has another sexual orientation than the majority. This means that between 5-10% of clients who access or should access the medical-psycho-social services are lesbians, gay, bisexuals or transgender (LGBT).Unfortunately, the apprehension that their sexual orientation will be unveiled and the eventual homophobe reactions make most of the gay clients to be «invisible».
The counselors of the HIV/AIDS Counseling and Testing Center's Galaţi, where the services are confidential and free of charge, try to transform the center from 2 Roşiori St. and a cabinet in "gay friendly" locations.
We ensure the minorities that they can trust the Center's personnel of not unveiling their sexual orientation or identification and will help them to obtain the counseling they need ", stated the deputy director of the Galati Public Health Authority, dr. Costinela Georgescu.
The workshop, where the attendees were the counselors of the HIV/AIDS Counseling and Testing Center's Galaţi, the counselors of the Anti-Drug Center and the representatives of the local LGBT community, tried to training for identifying the specific need of gay community.
However, the attendees had been advised how to make their cabinet gay friendly.
This workshop was designed for the physicians, nurses, psychologists and social assistants who want to get familiar with the gay issue in order to provide adequate services for this category of population.
The workshop was financed by Global Fund of Fight against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, through Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation. (M. R)
".Copyright "Monitorul de Galati", Galati.
