HIV AND AIDS: WHY IS THE VIRUS STILL KILLING PEOPLE ?

All readers and writers at MouthShut must be reasonably well aware of the HIV virus and AIDS. There is no point in repeating known facts about T Cells, the Virus, prevention and precautions.

What triggered me to write this review are cases of acquaintances who have turned HIV positive, despite their education, background and all the knowledge available to them about the risks factors.

THE NINETEEN EIGHTIES/NINETIES

Indian media started to high light the HIV virus and Aids late eighties and early nineties. The stories published were celebrity specific, Rock Hudson and Arthur Ashe. I asked a cousin who is a Doctor, MD Medicine about HIV. He dismissed it as a disease, which was USA specific and stated that a few NGOs in India were merely capitalizing on a new scare. He was referring to Dr Giladia of Mumbai who became some kind of celebrity in the early Nineties.

A few years down the line I checked again with this doctor cousin. This time round he was eyes wide open and stated that HIV is for real and that in his private practice, he shooed away patients to Govt. hospitals.

In 1994, I had a college going son. I was Commanding a Naval NCC Unit. Without wasting time I launched an AIDS awareness program for some 500 College students , who were all NCC cadets, over a period of 3 months in consultation with local NGOs and the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune.

YEAR 2002-2004

More than 10 years has since passed and most educated Indians are now reasonably well aware of the HIV menace. Yet year 2002 to 2004, I was shocked to learn that a few people who I knew personally had allowed themselves to get infected with the HIV virus.

All these acquaintances are:

1. Very well educated and positioned well in jobs. Two are MBA’s from premier institutes with high paying jobs in the finance sector.
2. Fully aware of the risks involved and ways in which HIV strikes.
3. Fully aware of the consequences.
4. The victims I know are from both sexes.

Shockingly, they risked it all and threw precautions to the wind and with it have caused their families to suffer psychological traumas of the worst kind.

Fortunately there are good support systems available today, both within the family and outside.

MARRIAGE: CASE FOR HIV TESTING

Given the liberal environment in which young people live in, especially in the Metro cities, is there a case for mandatory HIV testing before marriage?

I have asked this question to a couple of my friends who have children of marriageable ages. All agree in principle that this should be the case, but all said that they would not raise this issue as it could trigger severe negative emotions! So parents, despite being knowledgeable are willing to risk it all! When I try to probe further and argue, most folks including my Doctor friends just wish to put this issue on the back burner and implore me to talk about Golf or something more positive.

The Indian social structure has yet to evolve sufficiently. Till then, HIV is going to devastate many more lives and families given the compulsions of behaving correctly and avoiding unpleasant testing procedures.

Comments welcome!