Karnataka - Bellary   

Awareness about AIDS growing

Staff Correspondent

VOLUNTARY ATTENDANCE: At an HIV, AIDS awareness camp organised by FPAI in Bellary.

BELLARY: Awareness about HIV/AIDS seems to be growing among the people in Bellary district going by the number of people, particularly women, getting themselves tested at the Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centre (VCTC) at the Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) here.

Since the centre started functioning in September 2005, 1,541 persons — 226 males and 1,315 females — have been tested and around 5 per cent of the cases have turned out to be HIV positive. Of the 1,315 women, 56, and of the 226 men, 32, tested positive.

People who have volunteered to undergo tests are from various categories, including female sex workers, autorickshaw drivers, sex workers, youth organisations, homosexuals, eunuchs, pregnant women, widows and devadasis.

"Earlier people used to hesitate to come to our branch and talk about HIV/AIDS. Gradually, due to the awareness campaigns taken up by like-minded non-governmental organisations, formed under the initiative of FPAI, about the disease and also the need to prevent its spread, people have started coming on their own to the centre, S.V. Kulkarni, manager, FPAI, Bellary branch, says.

Pregnant women, who come for regular check-ups, are now aware about HIV/AIDS and also the fact that the child in the womb could be protected from the disease. They too are willing to undergo the test, he says.

There are 32 non-governmental organisations in the network. A few organisations conduct awareness campaigns for high-risk groups and a few others are engaged in post-counselling, extending care and support, instilling confidence among HIV positive people. The rest are providing treatment to the affected, he says.

Of the 13 eunuchs, who underwent tests after attending an awareness campaign held recently, four of them tested positive.

The number of HIV positive patients was on a higher side. But a notable feature was that more people are subjecting themselves to tests. Mr. Kulkarni says, "It is indeed shocking going by the number of HIV positive cases. But from the scientific point of view, it was a good sign. For, steps can be taken to prevent these people from spreading HIV."

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