E-Paper
AU inmates test HIV+
Anti-AIDS campaigners' worst fears have come true. After infecting hundreds of residents in rural Kaushambi, the dreaded HIV virus has now hit the inmates of Allahabad University hostels. A large number of hostel inmates, specially who have come from rural background, are turning to the Voluntary Testing and Counselling Centre (VCTC) at the Department of Microbiology, MLN Medical College for HIV testing and counselling.
Anti-AIDS campaigners' worst fears have come true. After infecting hundreds of residents in rural Kaushambi, the dreaded HIV virus has now hit the inmates of Allahabad University hostels. A large number of hostel inmates, specially who have come from rural background, are turning to the Voluntary Testing and Counselling Centre (VCTC) at the Department of Microbiology, MLN Medical College for HIV testing and counselling.
A large number of youths and other residents in Allahabad have also tested HIV positive during the past six months.
All these facts have come to light from the fresh data compiled by VCTC. According to the data, as many as 139 residents tested positive for HIV from January to June 2006. Amongst them 91 were male and 48 were female. About ten children also tested HIV positive. They contracted the infection through their HIV positive parents or by the use of infected needles.
The VCTC collected 715 blood samples from January to June for HIV testing. Of the total samples collected, 466 samples were of male and 249 of female.
"These also included the samples of Allahabad University hostel inmates, who came to live in a city for the first time. Surprisingly, many of them have also tested HIV positive.
These inmates either indulged in a high risk behaviour or were homosexual. But still the percentage of homosexual is very low," said Head of Department of Microbiology Dr Anudita Bhargava.
Dr Bhargava said daily 10 to 12 people come to the VCTC for counselling and HIV testing. Amongst them, atleast three are students or hostel inmates. "It has also been observed that it is not only Mumbai from where the rural residents of Kaushambi and Allahabad contracted HIV infection. A large number of HIV positive got infected from Surat where they worked in the textile mills and lived in slums," she added.
Dr Bhargava also stressed on the need of launching a massive HIV awareness programme in rural areas of Allahabad and Kaushambi.
"There is also need to motivate migrants of these areas to get themselves tested," she added.
