E-Paper
?AIDS spreading among cops, armymen?
AIDS HAS reached an alarming proportion in India and is affecting even members of the police, para-military and Armed forces. In the absence of adequate measures to check its spread, the situation is turning from bad to worse. This was disclosed at a two -day workshop on ?Women, HIV, AIDS and Media? which ended here on Sunday. Homosexuality was also held responsible for the seven-eight fold increase in HIV cases in India.
AIDS HAS reached an alarming proportion in India and is affecting even members of the police, para-military and Armed forces. In the absence of adequate measures to check its spread, the situation is turning from bad to worse.
This was disclosed at a two -day workshop on ‘Women, HIV, AIDS and Media’ which ended here on Sunday. Homosexuality was also held responsible for the seven-eight fold increase in HIV cases in India.
Speaking on the occasion senior journalist Rahul Dev said, “Earlier, police, para-military and Armed forces did not accept the fact that HIV was affecting their staff.”
But now, they have accepted this fact after manifold increase in the number of HIV cases, added Dev.
He also pointed out that now an HIV negative certificate had been made mandatory for selection into the Armed forces. About the efforts being made by the Government, Dev said it was seriously considering setting up special centres for tests and checking the spread of HIV.
The rights of the homosexuals were also discussed. As per law, homosexuality is a crime in India so gays remain closeted and exposed to the virus. To check this menace homosexuals must be given their rights, stressed Dev.
After a prolonged discussion on homosexuality, at the workshop, the participants reached the conclusion that homosexuals must be given their rights so that they could shed all inhibitions.
Subject experts also expressed their concern over the scarcity of medicine for HIV, which had compelled the Government to export it.
Differentiating between HIV and AIDS it was also pointed out in the workshop that when the CD-4 blood count of a person infected with HIV goes down to 200 and he becomes a patient of TB, Meningitis and Pneumonia then the HIV patient becomes an AIDS patient.
