Kozhikode: AIDS scare haunts Kerala
youth. Anxious youth are on the path of severe mental stress and dejection.
OXB India, a non-governmental organization for AIDS counseling among public,
reveals some shocking facts about this. ”We get six to ten telephone calls
everyday from youths between 22 to 25 years. Most of the callers are in
severe anxiety and tension. The fear of AIDS haunts urban youth including
executives and students. Some callers are on the edge of suicide.” Says FXB
India programme co-ordinator T.A. LUKA.
Most of them had regular or occasional
sex with Sex workers and strangers. On the way to tour programmes etc they
have these sexual encounters. Since the incidents, they had been in total
anxiety. Others are afraid of their habit of Homosexuality. When a call
comes to FXB office they give a telephone counseling first and attract the
party to its office at Kozhikode. Then the counselors try to lead them to
normalcy. With the disclosures of these people, FXB authorities could
understand the way of life of the haunted youth. In many cases these
urban-living guys have their girl friends at home towns and they engage in
sexual relation occasionally. Most of the youths are aware of the
possibilities of infecting them with HIV. But many of them do not come out
fully for discussing their mistakes openly. But when they realize that the
counselling and follow-up works as testing blood (ELIZA,WESTERNBLOT etc.)
are done with top secrecy, they start to open-up. But the most noted reality
is that 98 p.c of the haunted groups were not infected with HIV virus.
The reason for wandering with the
thought of AIDS is a dangerous sign of modern Kerala. Here AIDS patients are
suffering severe discrimination and social stigma. The attitude of the
society should change.” Says Luka. FXB phone number and ads are exhibited in
Bus stands. So people get the assistance very fast. This sort of convenience
is very rare in Kerala. There are enough govt. run agencies and
organizations; but no facility fit for youth. Youth like confidential
counseling. But here HIV counseling and treatment is available only at
Thaluk hospitals and medical colleges. However youth with anxiety don’t go
to these places because these public institutions do not guarantee secrecy.
So support systems with great importance
and awareness should be instituted to guide the youth to proper angle of
life. FXB India is an international organisation. Delhi is its headquarters
in India. Their only office in Kerala is at Calicut. Any doubts on HIV
please contact: 0495-5571113.
- CalicutNet News Service.