Red light area mulled to curb HIV in Mizoram

Aizawl, Dec 6 (UNI) Bureaucrats and social activists of Mizoram have suggested establishment of a red-light area in the state capital to curb HIV/AIDS.

Talking at an open discussion on prostitution in Mizoram organised jointly by the social welfare department and the Human Rights and Law Network, a leading NGO here yesterday Social Welfare secretary Lalbiaktluanga Khiangte suggested red light area is the most practicable solution to contain the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

He opined that an area should be identified for them, as commercial sex workers would always be a part of society and said "HIV spreads more through unsafe sex and the only practical solution available to prevent spread of the disease through sex workers is to establish a red light area, where they can be given more attention." The state has already recorded 113 HIV/AIDS related death so far while 1,170 people have tested positive for HIV since 1990 and the number of detected cases was gathered from 32,072 blood samples.

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