Low condom awareness among youth

September 20, 2004

Low condom awareness spreading AIDS in India

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Half of India's new HIV infections occur in the age group

of 10-to-25 years but only 59 percent of adolescents in the country know about

condoms, a government report says.

India currently has over 5.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS, the second

largest number outside South Africa, and experts say the number of people

contracting full-blown AIDS could touch 5.5 million by 2033 as the disease

spreads to the countryside and among married women.

The " India Country Report " by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said

data collected by the government showed that the probable source of HIV

infection in 86 percent of new cases was through unprotected heterosexual sex,

mainly among young people and adolescents.

The report, seen by Reuters on Saturday, paints an alarming picture of the lack

of knowledge about safe sex among India's young population.

" Misconceptions among adolescents are widespread in every aspect of sexual and

reproductive health. For example, many are unaware of the links of STIs (sexual

transmitted infections) to HIV or even the correct way of using a condom, " the

50-page report said.

Experts called for more mass education on condom use.

" Besides awareness about condom use, we need a mass campaign to ensure people

actually use condoms, " said Dr. Krishan Kumar Aggarwal of the Delhi Medical

Association.

" We need more education, more education and more education about condom use and

HIV among young people. "

Reuters

__________________

Dear FORUM,

On the following website, you'll find a bilingual chartbook made last year by

the Population Foundation of India in English and Hindi with lots of

epidemiological data and factsheets

isplay.cfm & ContentID=9671

Greetings

Phi Huynhdo

E-mail: <huynhdophi@...>

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