Guest guest Posted March 8, 2001 Report Share Posted March 8, 2001 AIDS Explosion Alert March 02, 2001, Kolkata, India: Source: The Telegraph India Two new HIV positive persons are being detected on an average every day at the Kolkata School of Tropical Medicine. This startling increase in incidence of infection with the virus that leads to AIDS was revealed today by the head of the virology department of the school, D.K. Neogi, while speaking at an interactive session on the " violence of prostitution " , organised by Sanlaap, an NGO. " Since 1987, the cumulative number of HIV positive persons in Bengal has grown to over 2,500, " Neogi said. Though this number is not large compared to other states like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, the fact that the number of detections in the early years was 10 annually, rising to 100 and now is at two a day is enough cause for worry. " About 85 percent of the infections have been through heterosexual sex, mainly with sex workers. The infected have got the virus either in Kolkata, or while working in Maharashtra or Gujarat, " he said. According to his findings, the rate of infection among sex workers in Kolkata and its neighbouring areas has gone up from 2 percent in 1995 to 13 percent in 1998, and lately to as high as 27.3 percent, belying the estimates of the well-known Sonagachhi intervention project. The school is the official referral centre for HIV/AIDS in the state, where persons suspected to have the virus are sent for confirmatory Western Blot tests by the various State Government hospitals. " Some NGOs claim that there has been a decline in the infection rate among sex workers. But how are they claiming this? Where are they conducting the tests? " Neogi asked. At the session, Indrani Sinha, the Secretary of Sanlaap, which is an NGO working for the rights of women (including sex workers), said that the legalisation of prostitution would not be of use. " The women would be as vulnerable as before, and pimps and brothel keepers would also get a licence for their illegal activities, " she said. The session was held on the eve of a unique " Millennium Mela " being organised by the Durbar Mahila Samanyay Committee at Salt Lake stadium beginning on Saturday. The three-day mela is expected to be attended by about 3,000 sex workers from 12 countries. One of the issues to be taken up is the legalisation of prostitution and the formation of trade unions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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