AIDS - The Medical Untouchability

On a rainy Sunday morning, I woke up late. I relieved myself and sat with the newspaper. Page 2, an awareness advertisement caught my eye.

"Why don't you share chocolates with me?"

That was the question asked by a cute toddler infected with AIDS. I think, post these scientific advancements and the internet revolution (we have the world in our fingertips!); we are - after all - still naïve.

Turning to page 7, I read a confession of a prominent film personality. It read, "I went to an old man's home to give him some clothes. I knew he had AIDS. He was kind enough to offer me some snacks. I ate it hesitantly. I left and never returned to that home. I was afraid."

My  mind began to flash back to early 2007, when I was young enough to not know about AIDS. We had a programme in school wherein they were spreading awareness about AIDS. There were presentations on the reasons, precautions, among others. One of the presenters went a step forward and introduced us a young lad. He was vibrant and enthusiastic, he held the microphone for the first time! We all had lunch with him together. He laughed and made us laugh on his jokes. In the afternoon session, the presenter revealed to us that the lad had AIDS. First, there was a loud gasp which echoed the hall. A kid shouted, "what?! Even I'll get AIDS!". A girl moaned, "I shook hands with him. Now, nobody will talk to me!". I thanked God that the lad was not there to listen to these remarks.

The presenter then reiterated, "we have explained this to you already. AIDS does not spread through hand-shakes, sneezing, having lunch together. AIDS only spreads congenitally, through unsafe sexual contact and blood transfer. . .". The programme went on.

It later struck me that I did not understand one specific term. But, the presenters were long gone. So, I asked, "what is unsafe sexual contact?". "go home! Don't ask bad questions!", came the reply from the learned biology teacher.

2013, here I am. Fully informed and aptly educated. So are my friends. But; I still notice hesitations and reservations whenever a topic like this surfaces. You know the problem in India? AIDS can be easily controlled here. More than half of the IND population is literate, there are homes here with no toilets but not without mobile phones. Such is the penetration of technology. The social taboo, the hesitation in deliberating on sex education is what the problem is. At least the women and girls receive sex education to some extent from their mothers (with respect to sanitation and hygiene). But, the boys are left to cope up with their problems and predicaments on their own. Society begins at home. And; at home, the minute an AIDS awareness advertisement is showcased, the channel is changed.

I can hardly imagine the plight of the AIDS patients. Some have acquired it because of their own fault, some have no fault of theirs. What kind of ambience are we giving them, when they are treated like untouchables in every walk of their life -- from renting an apartment, to visiting shrines to getting a job?!And all these reservations, knowing that AIDS is not contagious!

A drop of tear rolled down my eye and fell on the sweet face of the toddler on the newspaper. The paper absorbed it, leaving wrinkles on the toddler's face. The newspaper had served its purpose, have we?!