A Study of Communication and Prevention in AIDS Awareness Programme in a District Allahabad

Abstract

HIV and AIDS , both terms seems synonymous but are quite different in terms of medical science. Acronym HIV stands for Human immunodeficiency virus and AIDS stands for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. HIV is belongs to category of pathogen called virus and AIDS is a medical condition. A person infected with HIV virus is called HIV positive person. People with HIV infection not necessary have AIDS. Developing AIDS in the human body is long process that may take up to ten years. If HIV positive person do not get proper treatment, the virus multiply itself and attacks immune system of the person slowly. Immune system of the body becomes so deficient to kill common pathogens. Eventually, the condition of AIDS developed with some specific symptoms declared by CDC. HIV infection may occur by sexual intercourse, directly into the bloodstream through sharing infected needles, syringes or other injection equipment and from a HIV infected mother to her child. newlineSo many myths and misconceptions are associated with HIV/AIDS due to ignorance and lack of proper knowledge of the disease. This ignorance and lack of proper knowledge about the diseases create fear in common people and also contributes in spreading stigma and discrimination in society. India has the second largest population after China and third largest number of people living with AIDS. According to latest data released by National AIDS Control newlineOrganisation (NACO), around 2.1 million people living with AIDS in India in 2015. Some group of people like sex workers, injecting drug users and men who sex with men, whose behaviour can infect them with HIV are generally referred as high risk groups (HRG). These people are at more risk of getting infection, if, they do not take newlineprecautions. In India so many campaigns have been initiated for spreading awareness among such people like sex workers, labourers, truck drivers etc. In the present research work entitled A study of Communication and Prevention in AIDS Awareness