Bangalore: This worldwide organisation believes HIV infection does not kill as much as the stigma of the disease does. It is out to persuade employers adopt a fair workplace policy regarding employees with HIV.

Florence David and Edwina Pereira, Programme Director of International Services Association, India (INSA India), told presspersons that HIV positive persons could and had the need to work. Employers may even be losing out on people with experience if they discriminated against. Fellow employees often resorted to discrimination though being in the same workplace could not spread HIV.

"The National AIDS Control Organisation estimates there are 5.7 million HIV infected persons in the country and the incidence could be as high as 1.25 per cent of the population in Karnataka. India has the largest number of infected persons. There is a demographic shift now with more women testing positive and the disease fast spreading in rural areas," Ms. Florence said.

"Unprotected sex with a single partner rather than promiscuous behaviour is the main cause in our country. With timely anti-retroviral treatment, many infected people can lead normal lives and certainly work but they are discriminated against. Colleagues at workplaces should realise that not only `bad people' get HIV, there are many victims of arranged marriages too," Ms. Edwina said.

Started in 1982 with support from Global Health Action of the U.S., INSA India is working to see that all employers have a uniform policy towards employees with HIV as part of fair employment.

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