Uttar Pradesh: HIV-positive boy driven out of school

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HIV-positive boy driven out of school in India

NEW DELHI, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- A nine-year-old HIV positive student was driven

out of a government-run primary school in Uttar Pradesh, northern India, because

the school's principal thought he would infect other children, reported

Indo-Asian News Service on Monday.

The relatives of the child Monday filed a complaint against the principal of

Belmonda Primary School in Allahabad for " humiliating " the child, whose parents

have both died of AIDS, the full-blown stage of HIV virus.

After his father's death in June, the boy's maternal uncle brought him to his

home in Jasra where the boy was admitted to the school.

A local government education administrative official said the incident exposes

that it's not only the illiterate, awareness about AIDS and HIV is quite low

amongst the educated class in India as well, according to the report.

A person cannot be infected with HIV virus otherwise than through blood and

sperm.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-08/24/content_11936145.htm