Plight of an HIV infected Howrah housewife

[Guest guest]

HIV trauma trail dogs Howrah housewife

The Telegraph March 7, 2002 - Tarak Nath De

Rude shocks are in store for many a Howrah resident. Three months ago, a

30-year-old housewife from Kadamtala was told by experts that she had been

detected with HIV. The pre and post-test counselling could have helped her tide

over the trauma, but for her insensitive in-laws.

Five years ago, newly-married Surupa (name changed) had arrived at her new home

with a lot of expectations. Till her husband, a BSF jawan, fell ill and was

advised an HIV test. When it turned out positive, she and her baby daughter were

asked to take the tests as well.

The child had escaped, the mother had not. But the worst was yet to come. When

her in-laws got to know of the development, they held her responsible for her

husband's plight. According to Surupa, her in-laws have been torturing her,

despite her husband admitting that he was responsible for contracting and

spreading the virus.

Sitting in the counselling room at Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine (STM)

last week, Surupa was a shattered woman. What is worrying her the most is: " who

will look after my child when we are gone? "

Relating her story, she said: " I could not believe my ears when I heard that I

was infected. My husband had hidden from me the fact that he was HIV positive.

It was at the insistence of the counsellors and doctors that he took me to STM.

I believe he used to frequent brothels when posted outside. When he fell sick,

his superiors told him to get a test done. Once the result was known, he was

counselled and advised to inform me and take precautions. "

Surupa's husband, however, hid the truth - a price for which his wife is paying

dearly now. Perched on her lap, her three-year-old daughter asked: " Ma tumi

kandcho keno? Tomar ki oshuk koreychey? " (Ma, why are you crying? What illness

do you have?)

Surupa is more worried about her child than her life. " I am lucky that my

daughter is not infected. But what will happen to her after my death? I wanted

to see her as a doctor, but now I do not know whether I will live that ling. "

She is grateful to doctors " who are trying to motivate me. But the ultimate

saviour is God. "

Surupa is not the only woman in the state to face this ordeal. " There are quite

a number of housewives - both in the city and the rural areas - who have been

infected by their husbands, " said Prof D.K. Neogi, head of the virology

department at STM. The detection rate in all sections of society has " definitely

increased over the years. " In the early '90s, it was two to four new cases a

year. " Then it grew by 10s and 100s. in 2001, there were 700 new HIV cases

detected. The epidemic is spreading and awareness, along with behaviour change,

are the only true weapons we have, " he adds.

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Dr.Jagdish Harsh ( jharsh@... )

Director of Administration and Operations

François-Xavier Bagnoud (INDIA) ( www.fxb.org )

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