Shunned Indian HIV victims seek infected spouses

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Shunned Indian HIV victims seek infected spouses

Mon 2 Oct 2006 9:08:24 BST

By Rupam Jain Nair

SURAT, India, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Dozens of Indian men and women

infected with HIV/AIDS have agreed to marry each other after meeting

at a special matchmaking event, hoping to end the isolation the

deadly infection often brings.

Thirty infected men and women from across the country met at

the " HIV+ Find a Life Partner " session late on Sunday in the western

city of Surat, brought together by a local voluntary group working

with HIV/AIDS patients.

For over two hours, they shared their experiences, discussed their

families, medical histories and professions, with some even

introducing their prospective partners to accompanying relatives,

before agreeing marry.

" We hope to die on a positive note even though we are infected by

this virus, " said Sanjay Joshi, a Surat engineer, who lost his wife

to AIDS four years ago.

Marriage would give him and his partner physical and emotional

support said the 32-year-old man who agreed to marry a HIV infected

woman from southern India and adopt her children.

" Only a HIV-positive person can understand and respect my status. We

are all living with uncertainty every minute. Let us try and enjoy

every bit of life with a companion, " said Joshi who has been

ostracised by his parents and friends.

India has the world's highest HIV/AIDS caseload with 5.7 million

infected people. Although the country reported its first case in

1986 most victims face acute stigma due to a lack of awareness and

misconceptions about the disease.

Over the years, the country has reported many instances of families

disowning their loved ones because they are infected, children of

HIV/AIDS patients being thrown out of school, landlords refusing to

rent houses to victims and a infected woman having to abort her own

foetus as doctors shunned her.

HIV/AIDS victims and voluntary groups working with them have been

campaigning for a law to prevent discrimination of patients and

accuse the government of dragging its feet on the legislation.

Daksha Patel, a coordinator at the " Network of Surat People Living

with HIV+ " , the group which organised the matchmaking event, said

the aim was to bring together as many infected people as possible to

help them find partners.

" Let them find, choose and decide on a partner. It will add a new

spark to the lonely lives and give them a new zest to start all over

again, " she said. Patel, who is infected by the virus herself, said

many infected women at Sunday's event were widows or divorcees who

were infected by their husbands and shunned by families.

One such widow, 28-year-old Rani Patel, said she was thrown out by

her in-laws after they found their son had died of AIDS and their

daughter-in-law was infected as well.

" I learnt I was HIV-positive after my husband died, " Rani Patel said.

" By marrying again I can create awareness that HIV victims can live

and enjoy a normal life, " she said as she attached her photograph to

an application form for a partner.

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