Bulgaria and the Roma: Although Slow, Changes are Possible
Emi Baruh
“You Bulgarians are rich, you have sinks with running water,” the Roma women said to mediators – the confidants of the people from the neighborhoods who explain, advise, reassure. They are a bridge and translator across cultures.
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“Yes, we are ‘the ones with the IUDs.’ We provide IUDs through various community support centers. Because contraception is not included in the health insurance package. And many of the target groups we work with do not have health insurance. And for them to have any access to such services, someone has to take care. We are also “those with the condoms”. There was a period when there were many condoms under different programs. Now there isn’t. We buy them to reach young people or we deal with the companies that provide them. We deal with sexual and reproductive health and family planning. A major part of family planning is the provision of modern contraception – ways to protect against unwanted pregnancy, and in the case of condoms – also against sexually transmitted infections,” says Dr. Stamenkova.
