Morung Express News
Kohima | May 12
Dr. Tokhugha Yepthomi, HIV/AIDS Clinician and Research Fellow, YRG Care Chennai on Friday said that the HIV/AIDS, which has threatening the global economy, is technically 100% preventable.
Maintaining that 85% of HIV/AIDS transmission in India is through heterosexual intercourse, he said “we all have the capacity to protect ourselves by using condoms.”
However, he said, in reality in Nagaland, a recent survey shows that only 40% of women and 69% of men know that consistent condom use can reduce chances of getting HIV while only 2.8% are consistent condom users. He said HIV is preventable provided the correct knowledge, education and skills to be able to make a change in behaviour relating to safer sex and reduction in other risk behaviour like clean needles.
“We are all part of the problem and we all must be part of the solution, yet we first need to understand the challenges,” he told the media persons Friday here.
He also emphasized on the need to remove the stigma and discrimination against any HIV/AIDS infected or affected individual while also stating that instead of condemning or blaming individual behavior, one must strive to understand and address his economic, political and social issues that contribute to increased HIV risks in our situation.
Stating that one major issue and challenge facing Nagaland is the impact of injecting drug user (IDU) and the HIV epidemic, he said the prevalence of IDU is quite high and it is the primary mode of transmission in the northeast region. “One of potentially (effective action plan) to address these challenges is through treatment of drug use as a socio-medical issue and not simply a criminal issue, by improving access to psychological counseling and increasing better access and facilities of drug rehabilitation centres.”
“Stigma leads to silence,” he said adding that it prevents open discussion and deters people from getting tested and people who do not know their status are afraid to get tested and continue to live in ignorance which fuels the epidemic.
Maintaining that until recently HIV/AIDS was considered only a medical issue, however, views are changing fast and said that the HIV epidemic has become a serious economic and social issue. “Stigma and discrimination are the major obstacles to effective prevention and care support programme in HIV/AIDS,” he added.
“It is totally unjustifiable and unacceptable that people living with HIV continue to be denied basic rights such as medical care, food or shelter, and dismissed from jobs they are perfectly fit to perform,” he added.
Meanwhile, he also maintained that a HIV/AIDS positive person can lead a normal life as other by continuously using Anti Retroviral Therapy (ARV), which is being supplied free of cost by the National AIDS Control Society (NACO).
He also expressed surprise that Nagaland which considered amongst the six high prevalent States of HIV/AIDS has only about 200-300 ARV users out of more then 4000 positive cases detected.
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