Minister of State for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury on Tuesday said her intention was to ask women to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS.
NEW DELHI: Terming as a tragedy the controversy over her advice to women to keep condoms with themselves and not trust men, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury on Tuesday said her intention was to ask women to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS.
"Yes, it is ironic. It is a tragedy that it is interpreted like this. The people, the women I have met are women who are survivors of HIV, people who are living with HIV/AIDS. And the women themselves have said it in the audience, in front of everyone that we have got AIDS because of our husbands," she told a private news channel.
Addressing a conference on the issue of helping HIV+ women and children yesterday, the minister said, "men cannot be trusted. A woman should not feel shy about keeping condoms with her. She is equally responsible for her health and she should be prepared for any any kind of eventuality. Women is always more vulnerable."
Noting that her message was aimed at that restricted group, she said, "I have to inform them that don't panic and don't trust anyone. You have to look after yourselves. That is the message we are giving."
Skirting the controversy triggered by Chowdhury's comment, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said condom promotion should be viewed "holistically."
"I don't want to comment on what she has said. Condom promotion is a joint responsibility of both the ministries," Ramadoss said.
"Condom promotion should be taken holistically. We should not shy away from condom promotion. Thailand succeeded in bringing down their HIV prevalence rate because of their intensive condom promotion," Ramadoss said.
Thailand was able to bring their prevalence rate from 16 per cent to 1.5 to 2 per cent, he added.
Last year, the Health Ministry issued 1.6 billion condoms and plans to increase the number by three and a half billion in three years time, he said.
The ministry also plans to increase the condom vending machines so that they could be used for family planning and decreasing the infection rate.
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