The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : State sitting on AIDS time bomb

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 01, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

State sitting on AIDS time bomb

By V.N. Harinath

HYDERABAD, NOV.30. Andhra Pradesh may achieve the dubious distinction of having the highest number of HIV/AIDS infected persons in the country, overtaking Maharashtra, if no effort is made to arrest the spread of the deadly infection.

These two States along with Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Nagaland have more than one per cent of their population with the infection.

Revealing this to The Hindu on Tuesday, K. Damayanthi, Director, Andhra Pradesh AIDS Control Society, blamed growing promiscuous lifestyle for more and more people falling prey to the virus.

Films were a major influence dictating the lifestyle.

High-risk districts

She listed the high-risk districts as Guntur (with 3.75 per cent positive cases), Prakasam (3 per cent), East Godavari, Cuddapah, Nellore (2.5 per cent each), West Godavari, Karimnagar (two per cent each). Krishna district was on the hit list with 1.75 per cent followed by Warangal, Nalgonda, Khammam (1.5 per cent each), Nizamabad, Anantapur, Vizianagaram (1.25 per cent each).

Chittoor, Hyderabad, Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam districts figure next on the list with one per cent of the HIV positive cases.

Mahabubnagar is at the bottom with 0.25 per cent.

Surveys conducted at counselling centres and reports prepared between April 2002 and March 2003 showed that 90 per cent of the HIV infections was due to unsafe sexual practices. About 45 per cent of the infected persons were in the age group of 15 to 29 years, 35 per cent in the 30-39 years and 12 per cent in 40-49 years age groups.

ABC methodology

If the ABC methodology was adopted if would be possible to prevent the infection-- A for abstinence from pre- and extra-marital sex, B for "be faithful to life partner'' and C for "consistent and correct use of condom,'' she said.

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