Gujarat: Positively tying the knot

[Guest guest]

Tying the knot to come to their own Aid(s)

RADHA SHARMA

TIMES NEWS NETWORK [MONDAY, NOVEMBER 01, 2004 12:51:00 AM ]

AHMEDABAD: Aids victims in Gujarat are looking at a new therapy —

marriage within the community.

At least two HIV positive couples, both based in Surat, have married

in the past three months while another couple, the boy is from Surat

and the girl from Ahmedabad, has got engaged and will tie the knot

next month.

Counsellors and doctors too have been receiving requests from lonely

HIV positive patients, seeking companionship.

" Marriages between HIV positive people may herald a new beginning both

in the efforts at preventing spread of HIV and the way these people

lead their lives, " says Umesh Patel, president of Gujarat State

Network of People living with HIV and Aids (GSNP).

The GSNP has started the first-ever marriage bureau for HIV inflicted

people in state. Patel says that GSNP counsels such couples to refrain

from having children as they would run a high risk of being born with

the infection.

Manish and Sejal Vakharia of Surat are probably the first HIV positive

couple to tie the knot.

Manish was an unmarried diamond worker carrying the virus while Sejal

was a widow who had got the virus from her husband.

The two met at counselling meetings and decided to stop fighting the

deadly disease alone.

" Marrying Sejal has got me immense mental peace. I don't have to hide

my disease from her and she knows exactly how to handle my special

needs for high protein food and regular medicines. We understand each

other's physical and emotional needs. This is the best decision of my

life, " Manish told TNN.

Moreover, the decision has also saved Manish from the guilt of passing

on the virus. " My family would have forced me to marry and I could not

have lived with the guilt of passing on the virus to an unsuspecting

girl. It would have made my life hell, " said Manish, who hails from

Jamnagar. He does not wish to start a family.

" Companionship is the best thing for these patients. It will help them

immensely in fighting the disease better. In fact, we have received

requests to find companions for two HIV positive patents through

counsellors while two other HIV positive youngsters, we are working

with, have expressed the desire to get married to HIV positive girls, "

says Bharat Kinariwala of Quality Circle, a voluntary agency working

with the Aids awareness.

" Coming together of HIV positive people should be accepted as it will

support their physical, emotional, financial and psychosocial needs, "

says Arvind Patel, project manager of Project Support Unit that

co-ordinates activities of various NGOs working for the cause of

prevention of Aids.

Just as people match horoscopes before tying the knot, HIV positive

people are matching their CD-4 count, an indicator of the immunity

level of a person.

" A CD-4 count of more than 200 indicates good health. When this count

drops below 200, a person falls prey to infections like TB, fungus,

pneumonia and other malignancies. A person whose CD-4 count is above

400 is considered virtually disease-free, " says Aids specialist

Narendra Shah.

However, the community faces a dearth of girls. " There are about 25 to

30 HIV positive males who are willing to get married but girls are far

and few. Most women are widows with children and not many boys, mostly

unmarried, are ready to take on the responsibility of a family along

with their treatment costs, " says Patel

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