ИСТИНА

The ongoing expansion of international migration scale and geography is one of the principal contemporary trends. Migration of population has never reached such an extent in human history. According to the UN Population Division Data, just the number of classical (permanent) international migrants in the world increased from 152 million people in 1990 to 244 million people in 2015. One of every 33 persons is an international migrant in the contemporary world. HIV/AIDS epidemic rates in Russia continue to grow, together with sharp increase of international migration. There were 93 188 new cases of HIV registered in 2015. As a result, the total number of people living with HIV in Russia has reached exceeded 1 million persons, which amounts to a twentyfold increase within less than a decade. The number of deaths caused by the epidemic is also growing. In 2015 there were 27,564 estimated AIDS-related deaths of grown-ups and children, doubling the outcome figures of 2005. Migrants are one of the most vulnerable groups with regard to health and healthcare access, including HIV-related. The primary factors increasing the contraction and death rate among migrants are: limited access to healthcare and social security systems; underdevelopment of receiving country’s healthcare system; migrants’ inability to adapt to the new social and cultural environment, considering the migrants’ traditions and customs; lack of contact with regular sexual partners etc. Migrants’ lack of adaptability often leads to xenophobia, isolation and alienation from the native population of the receiving country. Also, as in the case with other PLWHA, HIV-positive migrants are susceptible to stigma and discrimination. Therefore they tend to conceal their HIV-status, which renders even secondary support service unavailable.