Indore: The number of patients suffering from Acute Immunodeficiency Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has dropped in city as well in state due to increased awareness but unsafe sex still is the major reason behind the spread of the disease.
According to a report by Madhya Pradesh State AIDS Control Society, so far 61,361 patients have been diagnosed with AIDS in state (except pregnant women) since 2005, out of which 4590 patients have been detected with the virus alone in 2019, till October.
The data of MPSACS stated that as many as 89.05 per cent of the new cases of AIDS detected in the state in 2019 were due to unsafe sex. The alarming data confirms there is still more to do to increase mass awareness on the virus and about unsafe sex.
The 4590 patients also include those unfortunate children, who got the disease through their parents. In all 5.29 percent or 243 children were infected by parents.
Moreover, 4.60 per cent patients have fallen prey to the deadly disease by using infected syringe or needle.
63.12 percent male, 36.51 female fall prey, rise in TS/TG cases
According to the data, out of total number of patients who tested positive, 63.12 percent are male while 36.51 are female.
Meanwhile, 18 new cases of HIV infection —eight more than the number last year — have been detected in the transgender community in Madhya Pradesh till October.
The lack of awareness about dangers of unprotected sex and the AIDS are the major reasons for this increase in the number of new HIV cases among transgender persons, experts said.
As many as 192 transgender have been tested HIV positive since 2008.
Decrease in patients in Indore: When it comes to the number of patients in Indore district, the number of patients has seen continuous decline since 2012. District nodal officer Dr Vijay Chhajlani said, “There has been decline in number of patients as compared to the previous records.”
The records of health department reveals that number of people who have undergone ELISA test or Western Blot test or other tests for HIV/AIDS have increased but the patients with ‘positive’ result has decreased. The health department statistics said that nearly 69143 people underwent either tests in 2019, in Indore, out of which 575 patients were found to be positive.
In 2018, at least 69711 people underwent such tests and 661 patients were found to be HIV positive, the decrease of 86 patients is a creditable one with one month left.