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Villagers go for HIV test en masse

Bolangir: Panicked by claim of a man living with HIV/AIDS that he had unsafe sex with a few girls at Sibtala village, around 100 locals gave their blood samples for voluntary HIV testing.

The villagers had asked the health department to organise special blood test camps after the 29-year-old patient, who is bedridden now, claimed that he had physical relations with a few girls of the village.

While parents of the girls are apprehensive about their future, villagers fear disrepute to the area as well as social boycott.

Tapaswini Sadangi, the president of the Swadhin Anchalik Mahila Mahasangha, said a meeting was convened by the village sarpanch to make people aware about HIV/AIDS.

“We apprehended social boycott of the village. So, all of us sought mass testing for HIV,” she said.

Around 100 men and women went for voluntary HIV tests at a special HIV awareness and blood test camp.

Assistant Chief District Medical Officer, Purna Chandra Sahu, said since it was for the first time that a village had sought such a test in the district, another camp would be held shortly. -PTI

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