Tamil Nadu: HIV awareness on rise in state

[Guest guest]

May 12: While the ICMR (Indian council for medical research) study has thrown a

bombshell that over 100 new HIV positive cases were found in Salem alone,

Tansacs (Tamil Nadu AIDS control society) officials clarify that this is because

more people have started coming to hospitals voluntarily to check for the

infection and this may not indicate an upward swing in AIDS cases.

Tansacs project director Shambhu Kallolikar told DC, “Awareness about the

disease among transgenders, MSM and sex workers is high and we have made it

compulsory that anyone who tests for TB should also take HIV test in all

hospitals.

This helps us to identify HIV patients who were not aware of the infection for

many years.

The theory has another taker in Dr R. Lakshmibai, project director, Tamil Nadu

AIDS Initiative (TAI), Chennai, who says more infrastructure and campaign

initiatives have made people voluntarily go for HIV testing in Tamil Nadu. The

cost of HIV test has also come down drastically, she adds.

This could be the reason behind the rise in the number of HIV positive cases in

Salem district. Awareness about HIV testing has increased because of relentless

campaign. Routine tests on pregnant women also prove that there is nothing to be

alarmed about, said Dr Lakshmibai.

Though she agrees the infection has plateaued, Dr Suniti , director, Y.R.

Gaitonde Centre for AIDS research and education, Chennai, feels there is a

slackening in the blitzkrieg against the disease.

But Mr Kallolikar avers that his team has been visiting the high prevalence

districts like Salem, Namakkal, Coimbatore, Krishnagiri, Vellore and Tiruchy for

the last two months to enlighten the public not to think that a stigma is

attached for undergoing HIV test.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/hiv-awareness-rise-state-190

Regards

Shelter

e-mail: <shelter@...>