AIDS unknown to sex workers in Gaya, Bihar

[Guest guest]

AIDS unknown to sex workers in Gaya: Study

Arun Srivastava

Patna, May 19

Most commercial sex workers in Bihar are ignorant of AIDS though state

NGOs have spent Rs 30 crore to educate them, says a recent study.

Helping Hand foundation, under the awareness and prevention project

of

Bihar State Aids Control Society, conducted the study in Gaya's red

light areas and came to the conclusion. Foundation director Lalan

Choubey said around 80 per cent of sex workers in Gaya are unaware of

the disease.

Though almost half NGOs in Bihar had started an awareness drive and

spent crores, the message has apparently failed to get across. For

sex workers, AIDS is nothing more than another disease. Though the

state has been spending a big amount on the maintenance of primarily

health centres specially meant for AIDS, it has failed to launch an

awareness campaign. According to Choubey, the situation in north

Bihar is alarming.

He said most migrant labourers carry the virus and pass it on to their

wives. The study found that at least 40 per cent of sex workers knew

they had contacted some disease but didn't know what.

Indian Express (Print)21 May 2001

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum members,

This is in response to the posting " AIDS unknown to sex workers in

Gaya, Bihar " My suggestion is that when you (moderator) yourself

find new items of journalistic style, rather than scientific

formality, you see whether the author of the news item can provide

you with the original report.

How are we to know whether the report on the prostitutes in Bihar is

as bad as the media says, (insensitive, etc.,) or whether the " local

politicians " are trying to once again cover up the severity of the

HIV problems? How are we to judge the merits, for example, of a

newspaper's report that some high percentage of the migrant laborers

in Gaya have infected their wives, when we don't know who obtained

the numbers or how?

It is typical of news media, but not of professional and scientific

community, to publish items for " political purposes " , with slants,

or with " rabble rousing " intent.

In general. I would not castigate the news media; it is their job.

And I would not suggest that such imprecise items not be posted to

the forum; on the contrary, I think they are most important. I am

only suggesting something additional: would you or someone be able to

go back to the paper, or the author, and see if the " full " story, or

the report on which they are basing their article, is available for

posting? (And then,my idea was, the forum could archive things too

long for posting, and just give the " pathway " to get the fuller

story. Maybe that isn;t the best way, technologically. I don't know.)

I hope this is not offensive; maybe it is something every reader

should be able to do, by going to the newspaper's website,

individually? I am actually a little new at the internet activity, so

that may be the simplest answer that I haven't tried too much.

As I said in the earlier posting, this forum is wonderful; the

selection of postings are wonderful; and I am sure it is a lot of

work. --

From anonymous reader

_____________________

[is it possible for any of the fourm members to contact the

Helping Hand foundation, in Gaya which conducted the study in

Gaya's red light areas on behalf of the Bihar State Aids Control

Society and request for a copy of the full report? Moderator]