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Should a pre-marital HIV testing be considered as a rational need?
Some people may stress that there is so much belief and faithful partnership convictions in one wife, one husband system of India and there are not the trends of multiple sexual partners in the Indian society hence HIV may not have an effect on India in a considerable way. Added to that, because of the long tradition, heritage culture and values the Indian society is self-preserving against AIDS….So they thought they could shun AIDS epidemic. But the AIDS is becoming an epidemic anyhow.
Trust me, all such beliefs and faiths in truthfulness of monogamy are redundant.
First of all, HIV infection is not at all a problem of sex-alone. HIV can be spread through via various ways. Already, AIDS is a big problem in India in lower class streams, and the specific stream of truck drivers. Prostitution in India is illegal, which creates more vulnerability of the oppressed women forced to be engaged in prostitution, as they in no-way can demand proper safety rights from their clients, pimps and police. So, even if prostitutes know the necessity of condoms and protections against STD’s they just cannot force the clients, some of them give in to clientele who refuse to use condoms.
The Indian Middle class convictions about AIDS as it is some other’s problem can be a dangerous sign. Specialists already claim that HIV and AIDS have moved further than the high risk groups in India. They are in the general population.
Furthermore, the attitude towards AIDS in India is very unhealthy, and even if some hospital signifies a patient as a HIV infected, it is tried to be hidden about despite the risk that someone could carry on infecting others. The argument for this is, people have been ostracized and driven to commit suicide over AIDS tests results, plus the reliability of the tests is not very much. The “Don’t tell Policy” can be a real danger in India yet it is pertinent. Even doctors discriminate against HIV patient. Last year some cases happened in Delhi and Kolkatta where doctors denied treating the poor patients just because they were infected with AIDS.
As a matter of fact, AIDS has already taken a plunge beyond red-light-areas and gloomy highway Dhaba’s to middle class houses. Now out of 10 AIDS patients one is a housewife i.e 10% female patients of AIDS are housewives of middle or lower middle class, an indication of just how alarming the spread is. Premarital sex cannot be denied nor can it be checked. Despite all shaggy faiths and belief system, it is highly improbable to shut eyes and accept that Indian middle class is safe, in reality; I feel that the middle class is more vulnerable to HIV then others and when middle class people can stress on horoscope matching, why cannot they accept for pre-marital HIV testing? I am sure that is more necessary. Being a HIV infected is surely much more dangerous then being a manglik isn’t it?
Yet, will a demand for pre-marital HIV testing help? What if the male/female gets engaged in a post-marital outside sex relation and gets the virus?
Basically, I am not against pre-marital or outside marriage sex-relations too. Yet, the sense of security and safety must be there, and demand for a HIV test will at least make it a point that the girl and the boy both are aware of the dangers involved in being irresponsible. I won’t say AIDS is a threat, yet to be reasonably alert against AIDS is rational.
There are many things which need to be changed, as for example, prostitution must be legalized so that the prostitutes can demand security and medical safety with openness and may get beneficial options too, the gup-chup sex must be avoided by the middle class and sex must be taken as a valid open subject. The general bad feeling of middle class against open talks on sex must be avoided and most importantly, the ostracizing tendency against the HIV patients should be removed anyhow.
Yet, it will be valid first step, if the girls and boys start asking for a pre-marital HIV testing rather than matching horoscopes.
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10,686 views22 Responses to “Pre-Marital HIV Testing or Matching Horoscope?”
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Vinodh Says:
February 1st, 2008 at 5:36 pmi actually feel that the move has come a bit late..but its never too late!
India has been hesitant to take strict action against aids for long…
hvin to undergo a HIV test is no sin and should not be avoided…its probably the best way to get the growth rate of AIDS patients under a control…
Good post!
Jshree Says:
February 1st, 2008 at 5:40 pmthough i do not completely relate to your views on pre-marital sex, i do agree on your point that HIV testing must be done before marriage. Good post.
suar Says:
February 1st, 2008 at 7:38 pmhaving the test done, is definitely a sensible way to deal with growing aids patients..
sensible post on a sensible topic..
-keep posting..
suren Says:
February 1st, 2008 at 10:30 pmif monogamy had been staunchly followed we wouldn’t the nation with second highest AIDS patients and well said … if at all the test can bring some good it could be the awareness and a sense of security, nothing more.
Anonymous Says:
February 2nd, 2008 at 11:06 amWell one need not see whether we are from low risk or least risk group….HIV and Hepatitis B tests need to be done by all before marriage. Vaccination against Hep B is not a sure protection.
Rahul Chandra (Saraswat)
Swarnadeep Chatterjee Says:
February 2nd, 2008 at 9:43 pmI am still a minor.
temporal Says:
February 3rd, 2008 at 6:33 amyou have expressed your thoughts sincerely
here is another take LINK on my blog and also on Desicritics
if you want to bring this there (on Desicritics) write to me
thanks
t
Net Esportes Says:
February 3rd, 2008 at 7:00 amIt is essential to make the tests today, the pra not trust anyone else?!
cookie™ Says:
February 4th, 2008 at 11:34 amha ha!
a parental advisory on the top would do!
just kidding.
Infact people need to be educated and that too BIGTIME..
Makes me wanna write on this too..
cheers
keep blogging!
Benji Says:
February 4th, 2008 at 11:35 pmHIV testing has a lot of ethical, moral, medical and social issues attached to it. marriages are built on love and trust. A couple share their past anbd future and anyone who truly loves and cares and has made mistakes in the past will share. Testing should be mutual and not out of law
Me Says:
February 5th, 2008 at 12:53 am@benji
It is not at all necessary to commit a mistake for getting HIV infection.
One may get that infection just because the dentist he visited was not sincere enough and used undistilled and infected tools.
One may get infected because of a barbers mistake, or may be because of a doctor’s, nurse, wardboy’s, hospitals mistakes!
To have a HIV test before making any sexual relation is quite genuine.
and I never talked of law, I talked of genuinity of HIV test and why it is necessary.
Any compulsory law is obviously not OK.
Yet, any rational step is genuine.
The Terabithian Blue Phoenix Says:
February 5th, 2008 at 7:28 pmYour post was quite sensible, but the first paragraph confused me. I’d like to understand that better.
Unfortunately, we live in a country where people want to keep everything taboo. In Kolkata there have been numerous protests AGAINST basic sex education. So I try to keep my hope (that people will understand) considerably low.
You never mentioned pre-marital sex equals to unfaithful relations. But some of your readers have assumed that. Pity….
subramaniamthinks Says:
February 5th, 2008 at 8:08 pmDaring Topic but you have handled it Excellently by throwing various valid points..
Gr8..
Lionel Says:
February 7th, 2008 at 6:14 pmppl should indeed fo for an hiv test …….
the number of hiv+ patients are increasing and more and more number of ppl are falling prey to dis ….
S Ramanathan Says:
February 9th, 2008 at 11:48 pmindeed, it will be a wonderful first step. but, i guess we have to simplify our approach to sex and sex-related issues first. we have to change the way we look at these problems and then look for the solution.
Ayesha Says:
April 4th, 2008 at 4:46 pmUnited Nations-Millennium Development Goals. This might interest you…
Malaria, together with HIV/AIDS and TB, is one of the major public health challenges undermining development in the poorest countries in the world. Many children who survive an episode of severe malaria may suffer from learning impairments or brain damage.
This will help all you people on this blog to do something along with the United Nations in your locality.
Check this
http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=47234928
Global Voices Online » India: Should Pre-Marital HIV Testing Be Mandatory? Says:
July 19th, 2008 at 7:32 pm[…] Reason for Liberty comments that this policy could be a valid first step, especially since HIV has now made its way into India's middle class. Pre-martial HIV testing […]
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July 21st, 2008 at 11:40 am[…] […]
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annnnnn... Says:
April 28th, 2009 at 5:18 pmI wld first of all like 2 giv complements 2 the author 4 putting forward such a relevent or essential thought ….dis is very useful stuff 4 saving various lifes frm getting ruined
ThanK u
crystal Says:
May 12th, 2009 at 1:07 amI totally agree if the guy really loves you but you don’t want to wait stress to have him tested for H.I.V