Misconceptions hampering AIDS prevention, say experts

Mumbai, Sep 16 (UNI) Misconceptions about the dreaded AIV/AIDS diseases is mainly responsible for stalling its prevention and need to be dispelled to let victims lead a life of dignity, experts say.

A media consultation workshop was held here yesterday to dispel several myths that abound among people in which physicians, experts, civil groups and HIV-infected victims expressed concern over high levels of ignorance among people and the changing profile of the life-killing disease.

An AIDS victim leads a life of stigma and is ostracised by the society is what most of the victims who shared their experiences said.

Ruchi is one of them. She says, ''My life crumbled for a moment when I learnt that I was HIV positive and had contracted AIDS from my husband. It led to frequent fights among us and the fear that my children would also contract the dreaded virus forced us to the brink of suicide.''She, however, heaved a sigh of relief when her children's tests turned out to be negative.

After a few years, her husband passed away due to stress, trauma, financial constraints and no medication.

But she says, ''I wanted to live for my children.'' Ruchi, therefore, took up the job of a health care professional with Dr Prakash Bora of Sarvodaya Hospital.

Dr Prakash who was also part of the workshop says, ''HIV infected women can face the stigma if they have a job which gives them a new lease of life and hope to live for the future.'' He has also provided a job to another victim Janki who tested positive for HIV. She says she was thrown out of her in-laws' house after she got the disease from her husband. Now she is happy with the job as a health care worker with Dr Prakash.

''I help other HIV positive people to come to terms with the stigma so that they can feel loved, cared and wanted,'' says Janki.

Ironically, their children are both HIV negative and are leading a normal life.

Another topic raised at the workshop was that people often visit quacks for treatment instead of going to a qualified doctor.

''People visit quacks because they feel they will not get quality care at hospitals,'' said Dr Bora Hence it is of utmost importance to dispel these myths and allow people with HIV/AIDS to lead a life of dignity in society, he reiterates.

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