Poland’s new social networking site for Polish people with HIV
Warsaw, Poland 7 February, 2010 - Those desolated by the HIV virus can find someone to turn to online.
This is a huge breakthrough in Poland where a ignorance and intolerance makes life extremely difficult for people with the disease, many of them being alienated from their communities or isolating themselves.
A new social networking site, www.pozytywni.pl, is much like Facebook and operates in Poland mainly for people affected by AIDS and HIV.
“Even among my friends I don’t have anyone who would have anything to do with HIV or AIDS,” www.pozytywni.pl member Magda said.
“This is my private, individual sign of protest,” she said.
“If we so much want to go in the way of the West, we should learn tolerance from them.”
Another user, wanted to remain anonymous.
“The reason is obvious,” he said.
A lack of knowledge and tolerance in this country.”
“[But] every new person is another drop of hope and a reason a better outlook.”
Operating since January 25 without any real promotion the site gained 174 members.
Many of them remain anonymous but some choose to post their real names, locations and even pictures.
The site gives them access to each other to form online communities and support groups, where they can ask questions and share experiences, on forums, blogs, in chat and personal messages.
It is also a place where anyone can access news and information about living with AIDS.
Experts said the site is particularly a blessing for those just diagnosed with HIV.
“In such a situation the first question is: “who can I tell?”,” psychologist and chairperson for the Social Committee for AIDS Gra¿yna Konieczny said.
“It’s important the person finds but one person with whom they can talk,” she said.
The internet makes this easier, especially since you can keep you anonymity.”
Healthy individuals are also signing up to the site.
“We don’t want to create a society of only infected people, we’d have an internet ghetto,” www.pozytywni.pl founder Mr Burda said.
“Every healthy person in our service is evidence of growing tolerance in our country,” he said.
By Victoria Ziarkowski
Freelance Writer
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