Simferopol, Crimea , Ukraine - April 2007 — “The play ‘I Love Life,” about the stigma of HIV/AIDS and discrimination against its victims, really changed my life,” commented Ekaterina Synchishina, a senior at Taurus National University (TNU) in the Crimea.

“For the first time I began thinking about attitudes towards HIV-infected people,” she explained. “I suddenly imagined myself in the place of the heroine, infected by accident, experiencing the pain of betrayal and misunderstanding.

“After seeing the play, I realized how important it is to support people like her, and not exclude them from society,” she noted.

The play ‘I Love Life” was written by Sergei Siplivy, a student at TNU. It is performed on the average of four times per month at schools, colleges and public events throughout Crimea. The play is part of a USAID-funded Reducing Stigma and Discrimination Associated with HIV/AIDS in Ukraine project designed to create awareness of HIV/AIDS and understanding about the infection among the two million people who live in the area.

“As a lecturer with years of experience, I know a great deal about HIV/AIDS,” said Valentina Efimova, a professor in the Department of Physiology at TNU.  “But we have failed to help students not only stop fearing a person with HIV/AIDS, but also convince them that our attitudes affect the health, emotions and desire to live of those who are ill.”

She praised the efforts of IRD and USAID for producing “I Love Life” and sponsoring other outreach activities that educate students and others about the stigma of HIV/AIDS and  how destructive the discrimination can be for those infected. “In the beginning, the situation at the university was extremely difficult – not all of the students or teachers were interested in stigma and discrimination problems associated with HIV/AIDS. In my classes, I could only work with a very limited number of boys and girls. The play ‘I Love Life’ helped change the situation.

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” Efimova said about the impact of the play,“which showed how difficult a task it is to change false stereotypes about HIV-infection and AIDS, about people living with HIV/AIDS. It is so hard to break the myths that have existed for decades, and build compassion, care and support for those who are affected by this epidemic.”

“I Love Life” tells the tale of a young girl stricken by AIDS through a blood transfusion; her boyfriend leaves her and she is shunned by her family and her school mates. She finally attempts suicide, due to her rejection by all of her loved ones.

When the play premiered several months ago at TNU, spectators were spellbound by the story – many cried and had very strong emotional reactions – and the vast majority reported that their attitudes were changed by seeing the play, showing the power of the written and spoken word.