subject: HIV AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus- Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome) [print this page] HIV AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus- Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome)
HIV AIDS - The name itself is horrifying! Even hearing the news of somebody infected by the HIV gives goose bumps.
HIV is a virus that causes AIDS. In India the first HIV case was detected in 1986 in a female sex worker in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Since then, the number of people infected with this virus is increasing at an alarming rate. As per Reuters (March 2010), around 2.5 million people are living with HIV virus in India, making India among the top three countries with the highest number of HIV cases.
HIV outbreak is more severe in South (Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu & Karnataka) and North-East India (Manipur & Nagaland). As per a research in April 2010, Maharashtra has witnessed the highest number of new AIDS cases in last 3 years i.e. 25% of total people infected in India. Also, HIV profusion is greater in males than in females (60:40) and in the age group of 15-40 years. Not only this, as per UNICEF, around 30,000 babies are born with HIV virus every year in India.
Having a closer look at the numbers above, it has become indispensable to take drastic measures to kill the evil in its bud. And for this the foremost step is to educate people about the syndrome because even today people infected with this deadly ailment face humiliation, irrational distort and prejudice everyday by our society. They are facing brutal onslaught and are being spurned by their family and community. In order to evade this, World AIDS Day (which was started in 1988) is celebrated every year on December 01 to raise awareness about HIV AIDS and fight discrimination. NACO (National AIDS Control Organization) was also set up in 1992 to administer the formulation of policies and control programs relating to HIV and AIDS.
Since precaution is always better than cure, the following steps/measures can prevent you from being infected by HIV virus:
Educate yourself and others about HIV AIDS
Avoid unprotected sex
Always use fresh needle for injections
If you are HIV positive, following points should be kept in mind:
Follow safe sex practices
Do not share your syringes & needles, razor, tooth brush etc with others
Do not donate blood
If you are pregnant, get regular checkups done so that the baby does not get infected by the virus
To know more about the disease (symptoms, tests, precautions etc.), please refer the Healthcare & Pregnancy' section of www.infolona.com
