Yaparov R.G., Drobyshevskaya E.V., Tochitskaya E.V., Pit V.V., Shilova V.A., Grechanaya A.A. The awareness paradox: how the attitudes of prisoners infl uence their behavior towards HIV infection. Preventive and clinical medicine. 2026. No. 2 (99). P. 70–78 (In Russian)

Abstract

Introduction. The problem of the spread of the human immunodefi ciency virus (hereinafter-HIV) in Russia remains highly relevant, particularly in the context of vulnerable population groups. One of these groups is convicts undergoing supervision in penal enforcement inspections, which are characterized by the intersection of the stigma of crime and the stigma of illness. Aim of the study was to analyze the attitudes and practices of convicted individuals regarding the HIV and to compare them with other vulnerable groups (sex workers and drug-addicted persons) in order to assess the eff ectiveness of preventive measures and the level of social awareness of these social groups, as well as to trace the dynamics of the perception of the disease as a socio-cultural phenomenon. Materials and Methods. The data were obtained through personal interviews with convicted individuals under the supervision of penal enforcement inspectorates in the Moscow (summer 2025, N=601). Methods of frequency distribution analysis and correlation analysis (Pearson correlation coeffi cient) were used. Results and Discussion. The study showed that convicted individuals demonstrate a high level of formal awareness of the routes of transmission of HIV, while their preventive behavior is situational in nature. A low level of external stigmatization of the status of a convicted person was revealed, but high selectivity regarding people living with the HIV: the closer the social distance, the higher the willingness to terminate communication. A paradoxical relationship was recorded: personal acquaintance with infected individuals does not reduce stigma, but rather increases social distance, which distinguishes the group of convicted individuals from other vulnerable groups. Conclusion. The obtained data confi rm the existence of an «awareness paradox» in the group of convicted individuals: awareness exists autonomously from behavior, and personal experience of interaction with infected individuals, in the absence of systemic support,may strengthen prejudices. To overcome the identifi ed contradictions, it is necessary to adapt prevention programs to the specifi c social norms of key risk groups, shifting the emphasis from purely informational infl uence to value-oriented approaches and practices.