Indore doctor calls for HIV awareness among LGBT

Indore: With homosexuality on a rise, there is a need to spread safety awareness among men practicing it so as to contain spread of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), said a city based physiologist here today.

"It is scientifically proven that homosexuals, who dont take any precautionary measures are more vulnerable to contract the deadly disease. The rise in homosexuality poses grave HIV threat to the society," Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, Physiology department, assistant professor, Manohar Bhandari, said.

Meanwhile, contradicting the views expressed by Bhandari, transgender rights activist, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, said, "Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community only should not be accused for rise in AIDS due to unsafe sex." Tripathi added, "LGBT community faces discrimination in the country. HIV doesnt discriminate between people of on sex. However, practicing unsafe love-making was prone to AIDS, be it a man, gay, woman, lesbian and transgender."

Around 21.17 lakh people including 59 per cent are suffering from AIDS in the country, according to India HIV Estimations Report of 2015. National AIDS Control Organisations (NACO) Strategic Information Management System figures for the year 2015-16, reveal 87 per cent people suffering from HIV were heterosexuals, which include two per cent homosexuals.