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No campaign to inform students about HIV/AIDS

Laura Elena Culiţă, Cristina Negraru

Romania has one of the largest AIDS/HIV problems in Europe but at the moment the University of Bucharest offers no information programs on this deadly disease to students.

University public relations coordinator Aurel Ghimpu said he didn’t know whether a campaign of this kind had ever been organized, but at this moment there is no such activity. Students would like to see some information on this and other important health matters.

“I don't know whether the university organized or will organize information campaigns, but I am sure that they should be a constant preoccupation for its staff. Students should be well informed so as to prevent HIV/AIDS from spreading any further”, said Andra Jujău, a student at the Faculty of Geography.



Monica Dan, program manager for the Anti-AIDS Romanian Association (ARAS), said that her group does not run exclusive campaigns for students. Still, she thinks that sexual education at the university is important.

“We have noticed in some of our actions that took place in clubs or at proms that girls feel some sort of disgust at the sight of a condom and they are not open to dialogue concerning sexual protection,” she said.

She said the university authorities and students leaders should be more open to cooperation with her group.

According to the latest statistics from the National Commission For the Fight Against AIDS, over 10,000 cases of AIDS have been reported in Romania since 1985. But many health officials believe the true figure is much higher. The largest group are aged between 15 and 19.

The university offers little or no information to incoming students about contraception, even though there are cases every year of students becoming pregnant and having abortions. Elena Drăcea, coordinating physician at the university surgery said gynecological problems are common among girls.

“When a student comes here, we send her to a gynecologist and sometimes if it is required to a psychologist. It is important that students should be aware of dangers. They come to us and we give them HIV and pregnancy tests for free. We know girls who had an abortion, but there are also students who kept the child. We have kept in touch with them,” she said.



Romania has the highest number of abortions in Europe according to the British Medical Journal. In 2002 alone, the number was around half a million. The report quoted the case of one woman having as many as 37 abortions.

“If students were well informed, there would be no such things as abortions in the first place,” said Anamaria Mihalache, a student at the Faculty of Letters. PR coordinator Ghimpu informed us that if a student becomes pregnant, she receives 380 RON from the state.

Students with eating disorders must turn to the university clinic for help. More and more such cases are appearing. “Sometimes they don’t eat well and they have problems with bulimia or anorexia. We have many cases of anemia because of improper nutrition and more and more cases of diabetes”, said Dr. Drăcea Iulia Calotă, endocrinologist at the “Nicolae Malaxa” Nutrition Hospital.

Dr. Drăcea has noticed an increasing number of teenagers with diabetes is due to their lifestyle. She thinks that school should be more involved in the students' life and that students should be persuaded to exercise and to give up junk food.

On the other hand, Ghimpu said the university cannot deal with students' personal problems and excluded any kind of information campaign concerning eating disorders.

“I think that the female students' eating disorders are caused by stress, especially during exams. Unfortunately, some of them are unhappy about their look and they tend to starve themselves so as to be as thin as models are. This affects both their mind and body”, said Ioana Cocarlea, student at the Academy of Economic Studies.

However, anorexia causes more deaths than any other psychological disorder, according to international studies. Turning to the problem of sexual harassment, at the beginning of 2006, the National School of Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA) performed a study which showed that 17 percent of students and almost 22 percent of teachers are aware of cases of sexual harassment.

“In my opinion, drastic measures should be taken (against sexual predators). The culprit should be excluded from the faculty,” said Andra Tănase, a student at the Academy of Economic Studies.

But the university has no standard procedures for dealing with such situations, said PR coordinator Ghimpu. He said each case is examined on its merits by the university staff and a decision is taken regarding the gravity of the facts.

Ultimul număr tipărit (mai 2007, format PDF):