Visakhapatnam youngsters falling prey to HIV

As the first day of December marks Aids Day worldwide, some concerning facts have been thrown to light in Visakhapatnam. According to the recently revealed stats by the Health Department officials, 63,325 individuals were tested between April and October for HIV. Out of these, as many as 1,046 tested positive with 90% of them being in the age group of 15-45 years.

Addressing the media persons in Visakhapatnam on Friday, Additional District Health & Medical Officer (ADMHO) Ramesh said that of every 100 people who had come for the test, 40% belonged to the category of educated youth, students and teenagers.

Despite efforts from the concerned departments and organisation of awareness programs, the incidence of HIV cases among youngsters has denied seeing a notable declining trend.

While the earlier victims consisted of migrant labourers and sex workers, the recent past has reportedly seen teens and youngsters catching the ire of HIV. “Easy availability of porn, lack of parental guidance and proper counselling have been a few reasons. Few youngsters also confessed that their parents were not marrying them off till they stood on their own feet, and the biological urge was impelling them to indulge in unprotected sex,” an official who supervises AIDS cases was quoted

as saying by The Hindu.

District Medical & Health Officer Tirupathi Rao informed that while the AIDS positivity in general clients was 1.95% during 2017-18, it has dropped to 1.65% this year (2018-19) till October.

World AIDS Day

Since 1988, World AIDS Day is being dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS [acquired immune deficiency syndrome] pandemic caused by the spread of the HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the deadly HIV disease. Many government organizations and health officials, non-governmental organisations and individuals around the world observe the day often with the education on AIDS prevention and control. It is one of the eight official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organisation [WHO].

News Credits- The Hindu