AIDS has become a huge problem in India. All of us talk about it all the time. Government has started many campaigns to stop this but the problem is increasing at an alarming rate. Let’s have some stats about AIDS in India:

-India is the country with second largest population of HIV-infected individuals.

-Current estimates of HIV infection among the adults between the age 15-49 years is 0.7 %

-HIV is increasingly being diagnosed among the housewifes and pregnant women and not among the high risk groups.

- In the last 5 years the infection rate among the commercial sex workers of Mumbai has increased from 1% to 51 %.

 AIDS has already taken a plunge beyond red-light-areas and gloomy highway Dhaba’s to middle class houses. According to some statistics, out of 10 AIDS patients in India one is a housewife, an indication of just how alarming the spread is. 

Premarital sex cannot be denied nor can it be checked. Despite all faiths and belief system, it is highly improbable to shut eyes and accept that Indian middle class is safe.The main thing that I want to stress through this article is that if we can have the kundli matching before fixing a marriage, why can’t we have a HIV test as well. I am sure HIV test is much more necessary. Being a HIV infected is surely much more dangerous than being a manglik isn’t it? 

We really need to break free from our old beliefs and need to be open about these things. After all, the couple’s life is at stake. Some people might not even realise that they have been affected by the disease. A mere small test should not harm the integrity or anything of either people in the marriage.

The sense of security and safety must be there. I am sure everyone will agree to this. AIDS is a big problem. This small step can help in not spreading this dreaded disease. AIDS is a reality and we need to fight it!

(THIS ARTICLE IS SUBMITTED BY A YoQ member RAJAT VERMA)