Module 12: Emerging Issues in Sociology of Population
  Lecture 42: New Issues before the Sociologists
 

 

On the basis of various sources of data, Pandey et al. (2009) estimate:

HIV prevalence among adults (15-49 yr) was 0.36 per cent (uncertainty bounds 0.29-0.46%) in 2006. Overall prevalence in the high prevalence States was 0.8 per cent and in low and moderate epidemic states was 0.2 per centets. Prevalence was highest in Manipur at 1.70 per cent followed by Nagaland at 1.41 per cent, and Andhra Pradesh at 1.04 per cent. The estimated number of PLHA in the population of all ages was 2.5 million (uncertainty bounds 2.0 - 3.1 million). The number of people living with HIV was highest in Andhra Pradesh at 525560 (range 420,448-651,694) followed by Maharashtra at 495,488 (range 396,390-614405), Karnataka at 276,129 (range 220,903-342,400) and Tamil Nadu at 246,473 (range 197,178-305,626).

HIV and AIDS epidemic has raised new issues in health research (Narain, 2004). Some of them are:

  • Situation analysis of HIV/AIDS

  • Knowledge and awareness of RTI/STI including HIV and AIDS

  • Socio-psychological and other determinants of risk behaviour

  • Sexuality

Thus HIV is a new risk without the possibility of cure. In several countries youths and adults have a very high prevalence rate, of around more than 20 percent. There it spreads very fast. In other countries also if timely action is not taken it can spread equally fast or even faster. Improvement in transport and communication, globalization, geographic and social mobility, changing norms and vulnerability of certain sections of society lead to the spread of “HIV epidemic”. The biggest problem in fighting the HIV is that the people denoted HIV positive and the communities in which they are found are stigmatized for various things. Therefore, the people will not come out and go for testing and treatment. India is not free from the risk.