From today 4/21/23
“‘A Quick Death or a Slow Death’: Prisoners Choose War to Get Lifesaving Drugs
An estimated 20 percent of Russia prisoner recruits are H.I.V. positive. To some, the front lines seemed less risky than prisons where they said they were denied effective treatments.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/21/world/europe/russia-wagner-group-hiv-prisoners-ukraine.html
From 2010 Reuters
JULY 14, 2010 UPDATED 13 YEARS AGO
Almost half Russia prisoners are ill, many with HIV
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Almost half of inmates in Russia’s notorious prison system are ill, many infected with HIV or with tuberculosis, the country’s Federal Prison Service said late Tuesday.
Of Russia’s 846,000 prisoners, the overwhelming majority of whom are men, just under half are ill, including 55,000 infected with HIV, highlighting the country’s AIDS epidemic which Moscow blames on drug users who inject heroin from nearby Afghanistan.
https://www.reuters.com/article/oukwd-uk-russia-prisons-illness-idAFTRE66D13M20100714
Russia has the highest HIV rate, abortion rate and alcoholism rate of all “civilized” nations. You pretty much have to go to Africa to find higher HIV rates.