AIDS seeps into armed forces - NDTV.com - News on AIDS seeps into armed forces

AIDS seeps into armed forces - NDTV.com - News on AIDS seeps into armed forces

AIDS seeps into armed forces
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Priyam Bhasin

Saturday, March 24, 2007 (Guwahati):


In the last three years alone, 150 BSF personnel have tested HIV positive and 25 have died, while Assam Rifles has found 245 soldiers HIV positive and 47 dying of it.

But the government admits that the actual figures are much higher.

"It's not alarming but the cases are increasing, and even then it does not reflect the true state of affairs. Our biggest problem is that jawans are very reluctant to go for screening, and talk about it," said A K Mitra, Director General, Border Security Force.

Men in the armed forces are highly vulnerable to HIV. Living away from families, they frequently visit sex workers.

In border areas like Assam, the risk is even greater as easy infiltration of drugs and sharing needles is common.

Preventive strategies

A recent study done by the Assam Rifles reveals that two per cent soldiers visit sex workers daily but 21 per cent officers and jawans never use a condom during sex.

And 32 per cent said they never used a condom during sex with their wives.

Till two years ago, there were no figures for HIV positive cases within the BSF. Preventive strategies like encouraging condom use have only begun now.

But the real problem is that if a soldier is infected, he is medically unfit to hold his job.

Worse, his family cannot access treatment since they live away from the soldier where treatment is available, pushing the problem underground.

But activists are lobbying with the government to change this.

"We are pushing for a smart card, have talked to the home ministry on this to be issued to families so that they can access treatment where they live," said Winnie Singh, Maitri, NGO.

While the services are now taking steps to deal with the epidemic, it is clear a proper strategy is required to arrest the spread of HIV.