Churachandpur: AIDS infected sex worker gets a foothold in life

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AIDS infected sex worker gets a foothold in life

IMPHAL : A girl who did not know anything about the facts of life and who

worked as a commercial sex worker to fulfill her mother's demands is now

surviving as a PLHA, or People Living with HIV/AIDS.

Sophirna (name changed) is 18 years of age and hails from Churachandpur. She has

lost both her father and mother due to HIV/AIDS and has been ex-communicated

from her family by her relatives and left by herself to move on with her life.

But later she was accepted in the family after much convincing by the NGOs.

Today she gets ART treatment every six months and is carefully looked after by

her relatives.

Speaking to IFP Sophirna explained that though her family members are not fully

convinced with the fact that the HIV/AIDS is not transmitted through living with

them, they are slowly accepting her in the family and being the eldest daughter

among five siblings she noted that she was not aware of HIV/AIDS before she lost

her father in 2000 and her mother, who was also a commercial sex worker as well

as IDU.

She was asked to join the trade her mother was in and with no option left in her

life she also started working as commercial sex worker and kept fulfilling her

mother's demands.

But early this year she lost her mother and she was left with HIV/AIDS.

She was rebuked in the family as everyone thought she had committed a sin and

even tried suicide. " I felt like dying at that point of time when I realized

that I have been infected with HIV/AIDS and didn't want to share anything with

anyone, " said Sophirna who has come so far fighting and struggling and who has

also faced social stigma and discrimination.

However, today Sophirna is admitted at Shalom Community Care Centre,

Churachandpur and is looked after by various doctors who give her all forms

medicine which will make her health better and also provide her counseling. She

feels good to be at the centre where she can move freely and share everything

with her mates who are also staying in the centre.

Churachandpur, the second largest town in Manipur, next only to Imphal, is also

the name given to one of the nine districts of the state and because of its

proximity to Myanmar which acts as main source of supply of Heroine (No. 4) to

India and other countries, Churachandpur has been a natural pathway for

trafficking this drug to other places for a long time now.

It is little wonder that the youth of Churachandpur have been very vulnerable to

drug abuse and HIV infection because of the above and other factors.

Churachandpur was once the worst affected district in Manipur, perhaps even in

the whole country and has recorded 1841 (official figure) HIV positive cases

till November 2007.

Haopu, one of the core member of SHALOM, expressed to IFP that the said girl

Sophirna was admitted to the Community Care Centre few months back due to her

weakness in health and she didn't talk to anyone and at that time her CD4 count

was also very weak.

But after her proper treatment in the centre her health improved and today she

talks with the people and doesn't feel alone anymore, though she would prefer to

stay at home with her brothers and sisters.

He further noted that we should help PLHAs to live positively by providing

accurate and up to date information on HIV/AIDS by conducting regular group

sessions, meetings which help them in countering fear and ignorance and also by

sharing personal experiences and skills and through mutual learning and support.

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