Yaroslava
41 years old
St. Petersburg
When Yaroslava was young she used to spend many hours on the street, one day she got into a wrong company and then had been having a drug-addiction for 20 years. When she was 34, she found out her HIV-status and according to Yaroslava, that moment changed her life for the good. Now Yaroslava is married and works as a peer counselor. This year she is getting a master’s degree in social work.
Yaroslava usually faces a stigma when she works with her clients.
« Why the f*ck you are lying to me? I am a doctor, I know it can’t hurt there. Actually, there’s an infectious hospital especially for you, HIV- positive drugsters» – said a doctor to one of the clients of Yaroslava, who suffered from pain and came to the hospital.
Finally, she was put in hospital after the letters of complaints and calling a social worker.