When Oksana Nikandrova, 29, was diagnosed in 2001 after experimenting with narcotics, she was
"on the brink of committing suicide". Though she had support from a friend on treatment, German Kho-Shu-De , "still I was desperate," she said. "I felt devastated." Oksana got diagnosed early enough to start treatment before she was too ill to survive. She can now focus on raising her son, Sergei: "My only concern is the well-being of my child". Oksana remains wary in the face of ongoing stigma in Russia against people living with HIV. "You never know how people will react. I don’t want anyone at my work...