Defeating AIDS

[blahblah]

India, according to some estimates based on GDP is the fourth largest economy in the world.Today it has a booming economy,companies competing globally,converting prospects into profits.

Yet there is one factor which may one day cause great concern for the future governments and seriously burden its economy.It is AIDS.India is also the country wth the second largest number of HIV infected people after South Africa.

TODAY IS WORLD AIDS DAY.

Today is a day when we can together declare our willingness and determination to protect our younger generation-through awareness,support and acceptance.Since the first case was reported among sex workers in Chennai in 1984,the epidemic has spread to more than 5 million people in India.Many cases go unreported.

Recently there was a number of suicides in a Mumbai hospital when three men threw themselves down from the fourth floor with in three weeks.They were all infected with the virus.The HIV/AIDS orphans are often denied normal edcation as the parents of other students object to their interaction with their wards.

And there are people who take advantage of their helplessness and desperation too-Like Mr.Majeed of [un]FairPharma,Cochin who 'invented' immunocure.

We are all sinners.If these people have been infected from unsafe sex,so be it.Premarital sex,extra marital sex and lust have all been part of human culture.So next time when someone speaks about protected sex[be it Sania or someone else],resist the temptation to portray them as immoral-they are not advocating extra marital sex.

[pavalamani pragasam]

Why not impart the value of morality, self-discipline, human integrity as better than beasts' indiscrimination? Why not censure all factors conducive to immorality?

"thappai thappaa seythaalum sariyaa seythaalum thappu thapputhaan"=wrong when done wrongly or rightly is still a wrong.

I am tired of hearing people harping on how it has been known down the ages. Yes, the flesh trade is the oldest trade yet. But it is a matter for shame & disgrace for man who has made such advances in science & technology, who has climbed so high in civilisation.

Along with appreciation of physical comforts our acceptance of the right sense of moral well being, a feeling we are far above beasts in our management of sensual urges must be encouraged right from childhood in homes & schools.

The tendency towards demolishing the edifice of marriage, the popularity towards "living together" is a sure sign of backward journey to the jungles of lawlessness & levity. Only a saddled horse is fit for riding, not a wild, untamed, unreined horse. We can be proud to achieve with our intellect not with dissipation of our senses.

Propaganda for "safe sex" is a brake only not the whole vehicle! At present it might be emphasised by wise people & unworthy people alike as a measure taken on a war footing. The main stress must be on morality.

Prevention is better than cure. Prevention does not mean safety measures, but discretion & human dignity.

[Sandeep]

The latest UN report says that in India Aids has already crossed the tipping point. The virus has entered into the general population.

No more is AIDS about sex workers, truck drivers, drug adicts and migrant workers though these groups still remain the main focus. But cases have been reported from all classes and categories of the society.

Today we have 51 lakh reported aids victims in India who are seen with hate and disgust (in one study 36% felt infected people should kill themselves and that they deserved their fate. Also, 34% said they would not associate with people with AIDS, and 20% believed it was a punishment from God.)

According to Peter Piot of UNAIDS "In order to prevent the spread of HIV, a combination approach is required. We need to promote abstinence, delay of sex, faithfulness and the use of condoms. No single approach will work."

[pavalamani pragasam]

Very recently I read a pathetic story in the newspapers: A young child whose parents were both not HIV positive was found to be infected with AIDS. During some illness while she was admitted in a hospital she had been given blood transfusion.

This was a shocking news which made me helplessly angry at the state of affairs. The blood donors do not undergo HIV positive test; we are a poor country & so we cant afford the cost; also the volume of blood donation involving such a multitude of donors prohibits screening the donors for the deadly infection.

Then is it not the duty of the individual who comes to donate blood to be sure whether he is of CLEAN habits? Or is it true the blood banks pay for the blood donated( heard so in some sob stories!)? And it is for that money the donor desperately offers his blood, a source of easy income?

We cant for sure pinpoint where the fault lies in this particular case, cant identify the culprit. But can only guess, assume that some unsuspecting HIV positive donor's blood has been given to that child. And what a tragedy & trauma to the child & her parents!

Propaganda for a clean, healthy, moral life is the best thing to do.

[Lambretta]

The blood donors do not undergo HIV positive test; we are a poor country & so we cant afford the cost; also the volume of blood donation involving such a multitude of donors prohibits screening the donors for the deadly infection.
Then is it not the duty of the individual who comes to donate blood to be sure whether he is of CLEAN habits? Or is it true the blood banks pay for the blood donated( heard so in some sob stories!)? And it is for that money the donor desperately offers his blood, a source of easy income?
Very true PP ma'm.......blood banks shud hav facilities to test the donors b4 blood donation.......here in AP blood donation is- I daresay- a popular TREND among most of the present-day youth (ever since Telugu star Chiranjeevi started donating blood! apart from the money factor).......however, most of the local blood banks don't follow ne basic hygiene standards in this regard.....AP being one of the states w/ highest AIDS occurence, shud hav its blood banks follow these procedures more stringently!


Propaganda for a clean, healthy, moral life is the best thing to do.
Sadly the moral part is wat is lacking in a big way here......! :(

PS: 'can't help the indignation tat my Birthday turns out to be AIDS day every year! :( :banghead:

[pavalamani pragasam]

Many happy returns of the Day, Lambretta! Never mind the coincidence. Mine preceded only three days!

[Lambretta]

Many happy returns of the Day, Lambretta! Never mind the coincidence. Mine preceded only three days!
Tks PP ma'm! And um.......belated wishes for the same! :D
Only 3 days ago? So tat makes u a sagittarian as well! Tat explains the thinking along similar wavelengths in our cases! :lol: :D

[ssanjinika]

Many Happy Returns of the day Lamby!
But the fact that your b'day falls on the same date as the world Aids day isnt anything to feel sorry for.In fact its a day when the world acknowledged a deadly disease which has the potential to wipe out the human race and promised to fight against that happening.You could put it as a day of enlightment :P.

[Lambretta]

Many Happy Returns of the day Lamby!
Many Tks! :D Altho of course no celebration this yr as my father'd passed away this April......neways I'm not tat active at celebrating it in a big way even otherwise! :lol:


You could put it as a day of enlightment :P.
Hmm.....well, fortunately I daresay I hav nothin much to be enlightened abt in this regard as I've thankfully been steering clear of ne dangerous transgession tat wud've otherwise made me another victim to pity on this day! :)
But yea, I guess I feel uneasy abt it remembering how many of my classmates at school once teased me abt this coincidence! Esp. considering tat one of their fav. dirty jokes was abt how AIDS is transmitted between ppl. of opposite sex! :evil:

[pavalamani pragasam]

Thanx, Lambretta for the wishes :D I dont believe in grouping people into 12 variety :lol:

[Sandeep]

Some disturbing facts

3 southern states (TN, KAR, AP) in the top 8 most infected states. Main mode of spreading 'SEX'

3 are from Northeast (Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland). Main mode of spreading 'DRUGS'

2 states from West (MH, Goa). Main mode of spreading 'SEX'

No state from North and Central India in top 8.

Note: The ranking is based on infected versus population in each state.

[j.chenkalvarayan]

hello sandeep ,
there is more awareness in the southern states. the govt in these states consider aids as a serious issue and spend a lot of money in spreading the message. so naturally more people take the test and more people test positive. so that explains the disparity.

[Sandeep]

hello sandeep ,
there is more awareness in the southern states. the govt int these states consider aids as a serious issue and spends a lot of money in spreading the message. so naturally more people take the test and more people test positive. so that explains the disparity.

Agree 100%

So is Morality more important or Awareness in the short run.

[Lambretta]

Agree 100%

So is Morality more important or Awareness in the short run.
I wud say both......altho IMO if only morality was given importance in the 1st place, there wud've been little need to take the effort in spreading awareness....:)

[Sandeep]

Agree 100%

So is Morality more important or Awareness in the short run.
I wud say both......altho IMO if only morality was given importance in the 1st place, there wud've been little need to take the effort in spreading awareness....:)

Lambretta you are theoritically right. If every one is Morally correct we dont need awareness. We also dont need Police, Law etcs. But that is not the reality.

Increasing Awareness is much faster and possible while indusing morality is a long term solution and takes decades to show its effect. But we dont have decades now, AIDS is knocking at our door.

Hence awareness should be primary at the same time giving due importance to morality. And how do you plan to spread morality when you are not even expected to speak about sex.

I would say the message should go "Dont cheat your partner but if you do at least dont give them aids". (this is loosely copied from Govt of India ad campain)

[pavalamani pragasam]

Bitterly true!

[Lambretta]

Sandeep, I wasn't saying tat everyone shud be morally correct, as there never cud be a perfect society of course!
I was merely stating as to how things r getting out of hand w/ the laxity of morals increasing.......ie, taking ur point abt how AIDS is now no longer limited to sex workers/truck drivers/low-class but found in ne/all classes/categories of society....
And of course, I'm not saying tat morality shud be focused on instead of awareness at the present time.....I was jus saying tat it wud've taken less of an effort if only ppl. who had better sense/education (unlike the sex workers/truck drivers' category) had steered clear of it!
Speaking abt ad campaigns, I once saw one in Hyd. tat said "having sex w/ ur life partner prevents AIDS" and jus below tat "Using condoms prevents STDs/AIDS"......the 2 messages sound contradictory!

[Sandeep]

Question and Questions

How do we make sure the door to our house is not opened to aids ? Not just aids there are many other evils out there child molestation, teenage pregnency, rape, domestic rape, premarital sex, extra marital sex ?

Can we talk about these in the house? Should there be sex education in schools?

How do we deal with prostituition (which still remains the main mode of aids transmission) ?

In short how do I induce morality and ensure awareness in my children ?

[pavalamani pragasam]

In the good old days there was one hour set aside for moral education in the week's classroom routine in the schools. The morals, simple as Aesop's fables went deep into tender hearts affecting the whole growth of the student's moral stature in a great way. That moral instruction class must be reintroduced in the schools immediately. It is urgent, imperative in these days of nucleus families with the nurturing grandma's moral stories missing. Next important step to CENSURE MEDIA!

[blahblah]

Unfortunately we don't have answers to many of these questions.

I was not supporting prostitution or extra marital sex.I oppose prostitution and free sex as much as Mrs.PP.

I live in Pune which has quite a big red light area where 4000 underfed women stay in narrow gullies like caged animals.According to a survey 36% of them are infected with HIV. Once they grow old or are seriously ill,they are simply dumped on the street to die like a dog.I don't wan't to shock you people,but there was an icident last year,when a woman lay on the street for two days before she died.Some shopkeepers offered her some water but she couldn't eat anything due to fungal infection in the mouth.The newspapers highlighted the case after she died.

They are not there by choice.They are trafficked from Nepal,Bangladesh or states in India such as Andhra,Karnataka and Bengal on the pretext of love or providing jobs.It is modern day slavery.Every two to three months some enterprising police officers conduct raids to rescue minors there,arrest the culprits[only to be let off on bail].Then it is the old story again.

These brothels do maximum business during Ganesh Festival it appears!The reason? -There is a famous Ganesh Mandir next to it!

It is a practice among the brothel owners to persuade these women to have unprotected sex with their customers at a premium,which can endanger their lives and their clients'.That is why I say we should be promoting safe sex instead of insisting on the morality thing.It is easy for women who are previleged to have fortunate circumstances and the protection of a family to look down upon these unfortunate beings.They are surely children of a lesser God.

Most people who go there are unmarried migrant labourers from the backward districts of Karnataka,Andhra,UP and Bihar.They are illiterate or semi literate.They are a starving lot who have no hope except live their lives as they like.Work in the morning,drink as much local spirits as they can,sleep with the cheapest woman they can find.They are a rough lot and I don't think they will be particularly impressed by this morality preaching.

Educated people with clean habits very rarely go to these AIDS factories.

[j.chenkalvarayan]

i feel no research should be done to find a cure for aids. if we find a medicine to cure the disease then we are paving way for illicit sex.

[pavalamani pragasam]

Really an eye-opener this squalid piece of information is. Why not magazines like "India Today" bring to light such squalor and generate public awareness instead of resorting to cheap publicity?

This Pune news must be only a sample of what is happening all through our vast country.

I think hope lies for our country of masses in improving literacy rate & creating a prosperous economic atmosphere eradicating unemployment, sterilising the political scenario disinfecting it of corruption. Herculean tasks!

[Lambretta]

i feel no research should be done to find a cure for aids. if we find a medicine to cure the disease then we are paving way for illicit sex.
Also true.......if only there was a sureshot method of eradicating the desires/actions tat lead to this disease, rather than eradicating jus the disease.........! :(
Reality is such a b**** isn't it?!

[ssanjinika]

Really an eye-opener this squalid piece of information is. Why not magazines like "India Today" bring to light such squalor and generate public awareness instead of resorting to cheap publicity?

This Pune news must be only a sample of what is happening all through our vast country.


Its obvious that theres a lot of politics involved which is why situations like these never come to light.The recent murder of the IOC sales manager Manjunath proves once again that the practice of dishing out the ultimate punishment to people who are truthful and honest still exists in our country.Maybe journalists are scared that their fate would be the same as Manjunath's.Ive read that there are a few places where the police form a part of the racket.They are given some kind of "bribe" to turn a blind eye to incidents such as this.Once again corruption rears its ugly head!

[pavalamani pragasam]

[tscii:89c2a4b943]It is the new age’s malady syndrome: seeing religious festivity as an occasion for sexual license. The Pune Ganapathi mandir incident reminds me of how recently the Mumbai newspapers reported an escalation of sale of condoms during the Dandiya season of Navaratri festival. That proves it is not just the uneducated, miserable Pune labourers who reveal an increased sexual indulgence, but the world as a whole seems to have turned lustful, irrespective of class, colour, creed and continent. May be it is the baneful effect of the benefits of condoms, unleashing uncontrolled sexual indulgence with least respect for the sanctity of marriage rules and the very concept of getting married for rightful pleasures.[/tscii:89c2a4b943]

[Anoushka]

[tscii:3fe59965ab]It is the new age’s malady syndrome: seeing religious festivity as an occasion for sexual license. The Pune Ganapathi mandir incident reminds me of how recently the Mumbai newspapers reported an escalation of sale of condoms during the Dandiya season of Navaratri festival. That proves it is not just the uneducated, miserable Pune labourers who reveal an increased sexual indulgence, but the world as a whole seems to have turned lustful, irrespective of class, colour, creed and continent. May be it is the baneful effect of the benefits of condoms, unleashing uncontrolled sexual indulgence with least respect for the sanctity of marriage rules and the very concept of getting married for rightful pleasures.[/tscii:3fe59965ab]

Reminds me of an article I read in Indian express years ago when I lived in Baroda... Navrathri is the time when condoms sales shoots up and then three months later is the time for abortions!!!! :(

[pavalamani pragasam]

Where are heading to? Literate or illiterate?

[Lambretta]

It is a known finding that Condoms protect from the HIV germ to only 80% times, the other 20% the virus may pass thru the latex, even when /if there is no crack.
It is computed that in such conditions, the net 5 year results of regularly using condoms for every wild loose free sex are no different from no condom!
The only only only way is to totally avoid extra marital (s)exposures....which unftly is not poss w/ the presence of the magnetic oldest profession on earth complemented by increasing materilaism/free sex concepts! :(

[Lambretta]

Found this @ andhranews.com:
Once gain the latest stats are very alarming and AP continues to be the second largest effected state. Almost 10% of the infected Indians are from AP. The main reason is still the same. Flesh trade/Promiscuity and narcotics. It is very pleasing to see that enough controls are now put in blood banks and new aids cases through blood transfusion are diminishing. However, married women continue to be the victims. The stats clearly show most of them are contracting it from their husbands. Here is district wide stats:
http://www.hindu.com/2005/11/30/stories/2005113012020400.htm

[covaithamilan]

It is a known finding that Condoms protect from the HIV germ to only 80% times, the other 20% the virus may pass thru the latex,
its correct[/code]

[Bebeto]

Sad news about HIV in India.

But what about the hepatitis c? Do they check blood donations for it too? I know that there was a problem here in Germany about it a couple of years ago but now they check the blood for it too.

[Lambretta]

[tscii:75c1d5c63f]It is the new age’s malady syndrome: seeing religious festivity as an occasion for sexual license.[/tscii:75c1d5c63f]
True......I once came across a post @ andhranews.com tat mentioned a village named "chhochukonda" where recently, on the occassion of a "grama jatra", the villagers arranged two programmes, one was orchestra/procession for the old people, and another live sex "programme" with bonafire for the youth! Some 25 women were brought from villages in Guntur dst. to participate in this mass sex fest, which was actually shot by 4 web cams by the enthusiastic youth only to sell the same @200 per CD! :shock: :evil:

[ssanjinika]

[tscii:b4af7ded5a]It is the new age’s malady syndrome: seeing religious festivity as an occasion for sexual license.[/tscii:b4af7ded5a]
True......I once came across a post @ andhranews.com tat mentioned a village named "chhochukonda" where recently, on the occassion of a "grama jatra", the villagers arranged two programmes, one was orchestra/procession for the old people, and another live sex "programme" with bonafire for the youth! Some 25 women were brought from villages in Guntur dst. to participate in this mass sex fest, which was actually shot by 4 web cams by the enthusiastic youth only to sell the same @200 per CD! :shock: :evil:

Oh my God!!Thats sick!!

[Lambretta]

Oh my God!!Thats sick!!
Same thot here! :(
God save AP.........!

[Lambretta]

Just posted an astonishing news item reg. this issue in the "Picked from the papers" thread.......

http://forumhub.mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?p=276925#276925

[Querida]

Um I'm sorry Sama-san but i don't know about this new therapy...i mean three things bother me : 1) only 50% is reduced 2) will child have to continue this drug treatment throughout his/her life and what if this administering of drugs does God knows what to the child's immune system seeing it is administered during pregnancy 3) if the parents or parents have AIDS who will take care/ or how will they efficiently care for the child when they become too sick...it is easy for me to say...but i will be rash and say it is selfish to bring a child into a world with the knowledge it may get AIDS...especially for those who did not get AIDS through a transfusion mishap.

The only way to find these things out is to let people try it...but is that even a wise decision?

[ssanjinika]

Ive seen it advertised here(US) and always thought that the drug was taken only during pregnancy by the mother.The child is born HIV free.Though the baby should not be breast fed she/he can have all other normal contacts with the mother.

[blahblah]

i feel no research should be done to find a cure for aids. if we find a medicine to cure the disease then we are paving way for illicit sex.
Also true.......if only there was a sureshot method of eradicating the desires/actions tat lead to this disease, rather than eradicating jus the disease.........! :(
Reality is such a b**** isn't it?!

It is really disturbing that this is the attitude of new age educated Indians.And it shows how insensitive people can be.Anyway,NARI or National Aids Research Institute has already started its human trials for the low coste,indegenous vaccine.So I wouldn't engage the 'blame gamers' in a conversation.

This morning I watched a programme on DD1,which highlighted the lives of some HIV positive people.There was one man who contracted the decease from blood transfusion and two women who got it from their husbands.Another,who cotracted AIDS from sex said that he would never have contracted the decease if he knew anything about it.There were one who said that the virus can jump 60 feet and for another,it can be contracted from a public toilet!

This shows the failure of a system which has trditionally ignored the riches of education.

As someone said about political involvement:

Today is the Pune Marathon.30 top long distances runners from 16 countries run for 42.195 kms with the theme of AIDS AWARENESS.They will be joined by 30000 people along with Leander Paes and Yukhta Mookhey among many celebrities.A dominent political party,which is trying to save its face in public after a power struggle within the party, has threatened to obstruct the run citing the reason that S.M.Krishna,the Governor,also a Kannadiga, is invited for the Marathon.The reason?-There is a border dispute between the two states!

[Lambretta]

i feel no research should be done to find a cure for aids. if we find a medicine to cure the disease then we are paving way for illicit sex.
Also true.......if only there was a sureshot method of eradicating the desires/actions tat lead to this disease, rather than eradicating jus the disease.........! :(
Reality is such a b**** isn't it?!
It is really disturbing that this is the attitude of new age educated Indians.And it shows how insensitive people can be.Anyway,NARI or National Aids Research Institute has already started its human trials for the low coste,indegenous vaccine.So I wouldn't engage the 'blame gamers' in a conversation.
Blah....if u notice my post, I said "if only"........I wasn't really giving my whole-hearted support to JC's statement tat "no research should be done to find a cure for aids.".......altho even he does hav a point abt how the supposed methods of eradication wud, on the downside, pave way for illicit sex, there is unftly no way to avoid such -ve effects in reality! Tats wat I meant....sorry if my post made it sound sumwat different.....!

[blahblah]

pave way for illicit sex, there is unftly no way to avoid such -ve effects in reality! Tats wat I meant....sorry if my post made it sound sumwat different.....!

No harm meant! :)

And probably it is true that the fear of AIDS is keping some people away from illicit sex! :?

[selvakumar]

I wonder why these people made my birthday as World AIDS Day..

[pavalamani pragasam]

Another companion for Lambretta! Belated wishes, Selvakumar!

[selvakumar]

Thanks a lot PP!! I never knew that Lambretta too has the samething.

[pavalamani pragasam]

Link for Selvakumar's benefit:
http://forumhub.mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?t=5269&start=0

[Lambretta]

No harm meant! :)
Glad to know tat, old chum! :)


And probably it is true that the fear of AIDS is keping some people away from illicit sex! :?
Um......tats wat even I privately hope most of the time......wud even cut down the costs of reaserch/campaigns I daresay, if seen from this point of view! Jokes apart......as I'd said, reality is much too cold & hard! :(