Social stigmas limiting progress, says MAC AIDS Fund survey

Nov 29:  79% people in India term HIV/AIDS as always fatal while 59% believe that it is curable.

When the world is getting ready to celebrate December 1 as the World’s AIDS Day to raise awareness of the AIDS, the deadly disease caused by HIV virus, a study shows a bleak picture of the level of awareness here in India.

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A global study released by MAC AIDS Fund divulged on Tuesday that though HIV/AIDS has been ranked as the most serious health problem but 59 per cent of the population in the country believes that this pandemic is curable.

On top of that 79 per cent of the population understands that AIDS is always fatal.

The survey said "Indians rank HIV/AIDS as the most serious health problems facing their country, leading the next perceived issue, cancer by 51 percentages.”

The study suggests misconception and lack of access to information on HIV/AIDS and how it is contracted is the main reason behind the spread of this disease.

In addition to the above revelation 65 per cent of people attach stigma and shame with AIDS acting as the main barrier to uproot the disease.

“People in India, more than other nationals in any other country surveyed, are uncomfortable interacting on intimate levels with those who are HIV positive," the report said.

Unwelcoming fact regarding the survey was that 44 per cent of people were not comfortable going to the same physician as someone with HIV or AIDS while 38 per cent reported of being uncomfortable with the person having AIDS and 41 per cent do not want to stay in the same house where the other in mate is a HIV infected person.

The survey results suggest an urgent need to spread awareness among the people through education and access to information.

John Demsey Chaiman of MAC AIDS Fund a philanthropic arm of Estee Lauder owned MAC cosmetics said, “We need to do some serious on-the-ground work to alleviate the sense of shame and stigma that surrounds the disease, and prevents people from being safe or seeking treatment.”

India has the burden of millions of people infected with HIV/AIDS hence progressive discovery of illusions and stigma attached with AIDS/HIV has become must for the people who are powered by their cultural norms and beliefs the reason that still many educated person react in same way as those whose awareness level is less or nil regarding the disease.