AP government on AIDS awareness drive

AP government on AIDS awareness drive

Hyderabad, January, 2005: Andhra Pradesh government's latest mission is to educate the state about AIDS, and the campaign is in your face wherever you go. The drive is deemed crucial, because the it is home to the second largest HIV/AIDS population in the country, and 89 per cent of new infections are reported to be happening through the sexual route.

In view of the alarming statistics, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy has sought the help of religious leaders to fight the war against HIV/AIDS.

The idea behind the move is to involve religious leaders to appeal to the spiritually faithful and ask them to be faithful in marriage as well.

Infact, it is not just at places of worship where one will be talked to about the AIDS issue. Even the neighbourhood hair saloon and the hairstylist are likely to broach the subject as part of the awareness drive, as nearly 25000 barbers have been trained to do this kind of talking.

According to reports, one in every five men in the state has non-regular sex partners, and only 25 per cent of them choose to protect themselves. As a result, one is liable to be handed a condom free with every trip made to the beer shop in Hyderabad.

However, the method adopted for the campaign has come in for some criticism from social activists.But in the present scenario, it just might be better to play safe than be affected by the deadly virus.

-MK
Reachout's News Bureau
January' 2005

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