The survey on high HIV/AIDS risk adolescents in Bucharest, Iasi, Constanta and Timisoara shows heroine is the most widely used drug, with 75 per cent of respondents stating they have used heroine on a daily basis.

Sociologists agree under-18 year olds practicing commercial sex are more vulnerable than those aged over 18, the fact being confirmed by HIV infection risk studies. The findings show that 22.2 per cent of the female respondents have used intravenous drugs, the percentage varying according to age. ‘A quarter of young women aged between 18 and 24 have used intravenous drugs as compared to 8.9 per cent of the over 18-year olds. Six of the 64 female respondents who admitted to having injected themselves drugs started using drugs before the age of 15 and 79.7 per cent starting using drugs before the age of 18,’ the study shows.

Over 90 per cent of the polled users said they had used sterile injecting devices for the first shot and 29 per cent had shared the injecting equipment with other users in the last month. In addition, 71 per cent obtained syringes within the various drug use associated risk reduction programmes.

In what regards sexual conduct and use of condoms, the study indicates the average age for sexual activity is 15 and almost 50 per cent of the female respondents had a stable partner. In 23.4 per cent of the cases, the partner was also a drug user. 62.7 per cent of the individuals practicing commercial sex became pregnant at least once and 84.9 per cent had an abortion.

Dr. Adrian Streinu-Cercel stated during the seminar that, from 1985 through to 2010, a total of 16,299 cases of HIV/AIDS had been reported in Romania, 10,145 of the patients being still alive. A total of 88 HIV/AIDS cases were reported in the first three months this year.

UNICEF Romania and the Angel Appeal Foundation are warning that the strategic objective of keeping HIV/AIDS prevalence to less than 1 per cent and the commitments to infected persons are both uncertain as long as international financing comes to an end in June.

Yesterday, at a seminar on a review of the national context and re-assertion of political commitment to continuing HIV/AIDS programmes, the two NGOs said an approximate total of EUR 5 M would be needed every year and added that, although it may look big in a year of crisis, the amount is still small compared to the costs ‘some much harder to control epidemics’ would entail in the near future. The last programme financed by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Romania will be ending in June, without any government plan to continue interventions supported by the international organization being currently in place.