Guest guest Posted September 23, 2006 Report Share Posted September 23, 2006 AIDS & Navaratri September 23, 2006 PHO's NAVRATRI MESSAGE- 'DANCE WITH ANY ONE', 'LOVE WITH ONLY ONE'! Come Nav-ratri - PHO, the premier NGO in the fight against AIDS in India since 1985, gets unusually busy with calls related to safe-sex, condom usage, oral sex, contraceptives, when to take pregnancy or HIV tests?, ˜Morning-after Pills etc. Last week PHO AIDSline (23719020) received a call from 17-year-old HIV+ve girl who was infected by unsafe sexual encouter with her boy friend during last Nav-ratri. Momentary pleasure in spur of a moment shattered her dreams and jolted her family. Efforts are on to get her boy friend to Voluntary Counselling Testing (VCT) and to discuss his liability to marry her, albeit a child-marriage in legal parlence! Another teenager asked where she can get ˜Condom ablets' to avoid AIDS, in case she does get involved in sex with her boy-friend. Last year a principal sought PHO advice on 'safe-disposal' of used condoms lying in the college premises that was hired for 'Disco-Dandia'. India has been a land of deities and festivities. Religion plays important role in individual lives, in ˜knitting' social fabric and now even ˜knotting' sex-ties. Youth celebrate festivals with fervour; spending lot of time and money, with little of restraints. In our society with double moral standards, of recently pre-marital sex has become routine for youth, but thanks to wiser counsel, many are turning to 'safer sex' such as kissing, non-penetrative sex, condom usage etc. Traditionally parents exert restriction on the mobility of their daughters, but Navratri is an exception. It is a documented that the end of Navaratri (nine nights), is beginning of nine-months for some! However most do not want to complete the gestation period and consequently abortions go up significantly (by 50%) in post-Navratri period. PHO estimates that Navaratri in Mumbai alone costs Rs.1000 Crore. Lakhs of youngsters spend nine nights, some landing-up in risky activities. Most Navratri-sponsorships come from Tobacco and Alcohol companies with surrogate adevertising. Alcohol consumption and seeking pleasures from friends or sex workers increases manifold during Navratri. This follows 'Shravana', a Hindu month of religious restraints on such vices. The Navratri organisors are too busy to consider imposing 'Code of Conduct' on participants of 'Disco-Dandia'. Even politicians hardly bother to issue any code, though their rhetoric of publicising themselves through banners and hoardings sprung all-over continues. Of late deaths are recorded among youngsters who suffer from variety of TB, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), complications of alcoholism and HIV/AIDS. They leave behind parents/grand parents, HIV affected widows and orphans. According to PHO, Alcohol consumption is a precursor to having risky lifestyle in majority of youth. PHO GUIDELINES: Utilising festivities for cost-effective mass AIDS awareness, PHO initiated campaign with courage and caution, with a thorough sense of social responsibility. Specially devised slogan, 'Khelo Beshumar, Par Karo Surakshit Pyar' and 'Dance with anyone, Love with only one' has been part of many dandia programs. Information on risks and consequences of unprotected sex should be provided using theme 'If you can't be good, be careful' and forewarn youth- 'Look before you leap and Think before you sleep' While efforts should be made to prevent HIV/STDs and pregnancies; VCT should be popularised. Those who have been exposed to unsafe sex should take HIV test after 3 months. Girls should also take pregnancy test 2 weeks after missing period. Follow five levels of prevention: 1) No sex outside marriage; 2) Avoid penetrative sex; 3) Use condoms in penetrative sex; 4) Take HIV test if risk is taken and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis within 8 hours of sex with HIV+ person; 5) Take proper medicare, if tested HIV+. Dr.I.S.Gilada, Secretary General, PHO & AIDS Society of India Municipal School Building, J.J. Hospital Compd, Mumbai-400008 Tel.(22)-23719020; Fax: 23000016; E-mail: ihoaids@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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