Unsafe sex still a problem in India as world observes Condom Day

Adarsh Biswa's life changed in 2013 when he got to know that he is HIV infected. A software engineer, he always found random hook-ups online and during one such encounter, he got infected after unprotected sex. He was diagnosed six months later and remained in depression for several months afterward. Currently, working with an NGO that looks after AIDS patients, he helps others with their trauma after diagnosis.

The man Adarsh met online got to know about his own infection after Adarsh's diagnosis. He had no idea and used to have unprotected sex often. "I still have not shared my status with any of my friends or family members as I am scared that they will disown me, but I make sure that I tell partners every time I have sex. I do not want others to go through what I am," says Adarsh. His infections are, however, undetectable as his viral load (amount of HIV in the blood) is low and CD4 count (white blood cells important in the immune system) is good.

A survey conducted by a leading condom brand reveals that 28 per cent of sexually active people in India have also had sex with someone else, and 17 per cent of the non-virgins in India are into casual sex and four per cent of these had not been seeing each other for long; while seven per cent had just met and six per cent paid for sex. Between 18 and 24-year-olds, nine per cent who lost their virginity were under the influence of alcohol. The survey was conducted on a sample size of 1,006 in India and 33,000 across 42 countries.

As per the data, 18 per cent people did not use any contraception in 2017, the numbers are lower than 2011 and 2006 data where 22 per cent and 26 per cent had sex without contraception respectively, but it is still a lot higher than the world figures.

"Of the 21 lakh diagnosed patients in India, only 13 lakh are taking their AntiRetroviral Therapy (ART) dose of AIDS. This clearly shows how unaware are we when it comes to sex and AIDS awareness. Most of the patients we receive are from the LGBT community due to the very low usage of condoms. We are looking to provide ART doses to another two lakh patients in the coming months," says Dr Sam Prasad, country programme director, AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

While Adarsh has been regular with his AntiRetroviral Therapy medication and guides others to not miss their dosage, the number from the survey are alarming.