AIDS in India: incidence, prevalence, and prevention,

With 3.7 million human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive in India, many predict that this nation of 1 billion people will soon see infection rates soar if successful prevention programs are not implemented. The majority of infections occur through sexual contact, with blood banks, intravenous drug use, and mother-to-child transmission also spreading the virus. Those in India who are HIV-positive are highly stigmatized and often have difficulty finding physicians who are willing to treat them. Nongovernment organizations provide various services, including physician referrals and legal help for those who are HIV-positive and programs to raise awareness and education. Although the Government of India has designed various programs to help prevent the further spread of HIV, lack of funding and poor regulatory systems are further barriers to their implementation. India is also at war with poverty, illiteracy, and gender inequality, all of which make the fight against acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) a more difficult battle. India's AIDS control strategy must take these issues into account in order to design successful programs to prevent infection rates from multiplying rapidly.