Awareness: The strongest and biggest weapon to fight AIDS.
AIDS might have started as a small spark, but today it
has spread like a jungle fire in the whole world and has taken such a monstrous shape that it seems difficult to stop or control it. According to present available figures, the number of people suffering from AIDS in year 2004 was around 5.1 million. Although it appears that in areas like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra, the level of spread of AIDS is quite stable, but in areas and states with higher population, the cases of AIDS afflicted people are rising fast. This means that H.I.V level is increasing at a fast pace. Without doubt, lack of
awareness, unprotected sex, and wrong health care policies have been responsible for this increase in AIDS. The report of W.H.O-U.N on Aids throws light on the Specific and special reasons for the increase in AIDS cases in different parts of the country. In India's industrialized East and West states (Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Manipur, and Nagaland) more than one
percent women are afflicted with H.I.V. Whereas in Western regions annd maharashtra, the main reason for it's spread is unprotected sex, in nothr-south states, it is the use of unsterlized or infected medicine injections that are the main culprit. This epidemic is spreading in rural areas too. For the National Aids Control Program workers the main area of concern is the increase of AIDS cases through Commercial Sex. In most of the areas of the country, commercial sex is the main reason for its spread (including the dangerous injections used in Nagaland and Tamil Nadu). In a survey conducted in 2003, it was found out that in Karnataka alone, 14 percent and in Andhra Pradesh, 19 percent commercial sex workers are afflicted with H.I.V. A recently conducted survey revealed that in Mysore (Karnataka) 26 percent sex workers have been found H.I.V positive. This is nothing surprising as here only 14 percent women sex workers use condoms while having sex with their clients. Whereas 91 percent of the women sex workers here never used condoms with their regular customers. In Kolkata's Sonagachhi red light area, there has been a considerable decrease in the number of H.I.V cases as a result of the sex workers using protective measures. Here because of more than 85 percent sex workers using condoms, in 2004 the level of H.I.V spread among these workers fell down by 4 percent. As opposed to this, according to the figures, in Mumbai (Maharashtra) the small efforts to encorage people to use condoms have not been very effective. According to National Aids Control Organisation figures, the level of H.I.V positive cases in Mumbai may be more than 52 percent. Courtesy U.N AIDS, cases in big numbers have come to light where women contracted the disease from their husbands who themselves got this disease due to unprotected sex with someobody else. In 2003 in Nagaland and Karnataka's rural regions more than one percent women have been found to be H.I.V positive. All these women became the victims of this disease due to their husbands who have been regularly going to sex workers or had gone in the past. Very few people know that in India the spread of different epidemics has resulted from the increasing role of men having sex with each other. Some reasearch has shown that in India a big population of men is indulging in sex with other men. six percent of these men having sex with other men are found in the slum areas of Chennai. National Aids Control Programme (NACP) I and II did not have any appreciable effect. First program was started in 1992 and this central program received aid from the World Bank. This program completed in 1997. The second program started in 1999 and this will start again in 2006 directed towards rural areas. Notable is that in comparison to urban areas (41 %), in rural areas, H.I.V cases have reached 59 %. According to Health Minister, Amarbumani Ramdoss, herd rounP along with world partners and corporates, many new programs will be made. The Prime Minister of India, Mr Manmohan Singh has asked to view the topic of sex in a new light. He said that about sex and the topic of sex, families, friends and society needs to be made free from orthodox thoughts and nobody should feel hesitant talking about it. According to him, awareness alone is the only weapon to deal with this deadly disease that results from unprotected sex. Awareness regarding proper use of and donating/exchange of blood was also stressed upon. But the question arises that isn't telling youth to use condoms while having sex is like inviting them to have sex without marriage all the more? It may be anything, but our first goal to rise the level of awareness among youth inlight of a complete lack of sex education was essential. Otherwise also, Awareness and people's health revolutions are the only instruments with which we can stop the spread of AIDS.