Dear forum Members,

Funds from UNAIDS, Global fund and so many other sources are flowing like
anything for the prevention, control, care and support of HIV/AIDS. NACO, SACS
and so many voluntary agencies all over India and Abroad employed hundreds of
staffs from administrative to field level towards this Herculean task of HIV
control.

At the same time, at least 5% of this PLHA population, who are under regular
follow ups, surveillance and support services, are still sexually active.
Especially young helpless widows with or without children seeking for their
earning, support, dependency and for their sexual needs engage in sex work or
active sexual habits.

The culture of living together, love affairs, promiscuity among men PLHAs are
common among them. Those 5% of the clients with any NGOs or voluntary
organization at any point of time, in spite of regular counseling, support
services are sexually transmitting the HIV infection.

Most of these individuals are not adapting even safe sex methods of using
condoms. I am sure every one of the organizations in our country would have had
such experiences. One of my clients answered a questionnaire (she is in her late
thirties) that she is engaging minimum of 4 clients per day and not using
condom.

If she insists on condom usage to her partners, she thinks that suspicion will
arise about her health condition and she would not get clients. This is all in
spite of our teachings on BCC activities. Many positives want to get married or
to live with HIV negative people. Knowingly those negative people also are ready
to live with them which were decided by their impulse of their young age.

India has around 25-30 lakhs of HIV positive people as per NACO's data. 5% of
this HIV population (may be a gross under-estimate only) will be around 1.25-1.5
lakhs. If these 1.25 lakh PLHAs are sexually transmitting means, what an amount
of newly infected HIV cases would occur daily. Unimaginable one!

What are we going to do with this population whereas no problem with the other
almost 95 % of the PLHA community due to the prevention activities?

A million dollar question! If we are not acting to it, there is no point in
spending so much of money in the fight of HIV control. It is just like
collecting water with a pot with a hole.
 
Dr S.MURUGAN,

Consultant HIV Physician,
Chief Medical Consultant for Peace Trust and other NGOs
Tirunelveli- Tamilnadu 627002
e-mail: <muruganyes@...>