Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Men know more about HIV/AIDS than women, says health survey

GULBARGA: The crores of rupees spent on creating awareness about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) over the years appeared to have achieved very little on the targeted population. A recent survey, conducted by the Union Government, has revealed that only 61 per cent of the women in the country have heard about the disease and there was only 83 per cent awareness among women in urban areas.

The National Family Health Survey-3 (NFHS-3), conducted by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in the report released this year said that the survey concluded that men knew more on how the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) is transmitted when compared to women. Hardly one third of women knew about the prevention of HIV and AIDS through use of condoms when compared to 70 per cent of men. Less than one third of women knew that condoms and fidelity prevented acquiring the disease, while 65 per cent of men knew about this.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been conducting the NFHS covering all aspects of the health once in seven years. The first NFHS was conducted in 1992-93, the second in 1998-99, and the third in 2005-06. The field survey for the NFHS was conducted in two phases by 18 research organisations throughout the country between November 2005 and August 2006.

The survey revealed that only 17 per cent of women and 33 per cent of men had comprehensive knowledge about HIV and AIDS. The knowledge about the disease was widespread in Mizoram where two third of both women and men had comprehensive knowledge about the disease, and in Delhi and Manipur more than two in five women and three in five men had comprehensive knowledge about he disease.

Sharanabasavaraj, a research scholar on street children, who is a recognised trainer and counsellor of the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and closely involved in the AIDS control programmesaid that the survey has revealed the ground situation prevailing in the country.

“The targeted population is yet to be reached. More particularly in rural areas, there has been no direct interaction with the women to spread knowledge about the disease and its prevention,” he said. The HIV/AIDS has been demonised and the policy makers have failed to send the message that HIV/AIDS is like any other common disease where death could occur, he added.

Another interesting and heart-warming revelation in the survey was the growing acceptance of the disease by society and the stigma attached to the disease slowly erased from the minds of the people. The survey said that three fourth of the adults in the country were willing to take care of family members afflicted with the disease in their homes and a similar proportion accepted a female teacher afflicted with the disease to continue teaching in the schools where their children studied. About two out of three adults said they would not keep it a secret if a family member was infected with HIV/AIDS.

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