VIJAYAWADA: Many people are under the wrong impression that AIDS patients are not admitted to the Government General Hospital (GGH). The media should help dispel such misconceptions to check the spread of HIV effectively, according to Paladugu Rambabu, head of Sexually-Transmitted Diseases wing of the hospital.

Speaking at a workshop on HIV and AIDS for mediapersons organised jointly by the A.P. State AIDS Control Society (APSACS), A.P.Press Academy, APUWJ and Centre for Advocacy and Research here on Wednesday, Prof. Rambabu said that AIDS tests was being conducted free of cost at the GGH. Those found to be HIV-positive were being counselled and drugs were being given on priority basis for eligible patients.

He said the HIV and AIDS control programmes of Andhra Pradesh were next only to those of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, but the incidence of the disease was on the increase here because of the high rates of sex with non-regular partners (NRPs).

Grim in coastal districts

According to studies conducted by NACO-BSS, 19 per cent of the men and 7 per cent of the women in the State reported sex with NRPs. The situation was more grim in the coastal districts with 38 per cent of the married men and 10 per cent of married women reporting sex with NRPs, according to a survey made by CHARCA in Guntur.

According to the CHARCA report 32 per cent of unmarried men in Guntur reported to have had premarital sex. According to another study made by DFID FHI, 22 per cent of the university students reported to have had premarital sex.

Prof Rambabu said that one out of every three STD patients in Vijayawada were HIV-positive. Asked to whom a doctor could divulge information when a patient had tested positive for AIDS, he said, the Supreme Court had issued very clear guidelines on the matter. "The doctor can only tell only the spouse even without the permission of the patient," Prof Rambabu said.

He explained the efforts made by APSACS to control AIDS by promoting awareness on safe sex.

In an open discussion on `missing perspectives and evidence in the media', resource persons S.Ramakrishna and Sribala said that there were many journalists who were still confused about HIV and AIDS. They said that news items should not add to the stigma of being a patient. . APUWJ State governing council member Ambati Anjeneyulu and district secretary S K Babu spoke.

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