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.