HIV in India

Radio 4 and a very interesting programme about the HIV situation in India. Homosexuality being illegal in India makes treatment of some sufferers problematic as people are frightened or ashamed to come forward. No mention of the spread through blood transfusions. No Bollywood treatment of this (un)romantic subject . A DfID funded world service programme is the only dramatised treatment of the topic.

 

There was a survey taken and 70% or something close of men between 16-50 had sexual intercourse with other men.

 

The criminalisation of homosexuality in India is currently under review as attitudes are changing, and if they are serious about preventing an epidemic which will do as much harm to their economy as AIDS has caused throughout Africa, they will act sooner rather than later.

There is probably also a hidden problem in Moslim countries, particularly those operating Sharia law - where HIV and AIDS are likely to become endemic due to the whole taboo about public discussion of anything sexual and the application of anything from the death penalty to imprisonment for adultery and homosexuality - it varies with different countries.

 

Hmmm...... I hesitate to say this but..... I can see a possible solution to a larger problem there........

I know I know. I'm really bad.

 

I used to know a guy who worked in Zimbabwe before our government finally fell out with Mugabe. He told how HIV was non existant there until the Health Minister died from Aids.

I used to find Indian culture very 'Victorian' it all happened but no one ever spoke about it or acknowledged it wqas happening. The problem is that they are people just like us and do the very same things we do. It used to be the case that you could not get a work permit without an aids test, but tourist visas were sold to any one who wanted one and certain parts of India are very popular with tourists, and of course the locals will provide the required facilities for these tourists to help them spend their hard currency. So th original Indian idea of a 'fortress against aids was doomed.

The real problem is that endemic aids in India will make Africa look like a minor outbreak, remeber the Indian population currently is the same as China give or take the odd million.

Peter

 

Ah well,wont be long before they troll up on our shores looking for free treatment!!!

 

Although, given the way the "NICE" is behaving over its approval for drugs for use in England, they'd be far better off heading North of the border!

 

At the moment'North of the border ' its the vogue to go to France and pay for treatment and then come back and sue the relevant NHS for the cost of expenses incurred -------it seems to have the desired effect with waiting lists anyway!!

 

you are naughty Inspector - however - one of the (many) theories about the origins of 'British economic supremacy' goes right back to the plagues of yore ... (to cut a very long story short) ... according to this theory a reduction in the population enabled the survivorsn to command higher wages as a result of the shortage of manpower ...

 

The only problem with that is the 'Black Death' affected all of Europe. A better theory was that it was all down to the Dutch and the civil war. Firstly Charly Boy having dificult getting any new taxes out of Paliament revised the tax colection system so that he actually got the tax money rather than most of it sticking to other peoples fingers, then after they had chopped his head of Parliament used this new efficient tax collecting system to encourage trade and commerce in the Dutch style, result big effective RN, with mastery of the seas, allowing Britain to extract wealth from a rapidly growing empire.

Peter

 

In the 60s it was reported that the duty LH at a certain wafu training establishment found two Indian sailors in bed with one another. The Duty officer was informed who called out one of the Indian officers who investigated. The outcome was that the Indian officer stated that there was not a problem as these two men "were very good friends". Very enlightened thinking for those times

 

They were only able to apply the rules of supply-and-demand for a brief period before the the law was changed forcing the wages down to what they had been in the days before the Black Death. This was ruthlessly (and bloodily) enforced. England's political and economic history makes fascinating reading... and leaves you even more cynical than when you started.