The Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) has recommended that a comprehensive sexuality education be provided to all adolescent mothers and people living with HIV.
The recommendations were made following the completion of a two-year project ‘preventing maternal deaths and promoting child survival by supporting elimination of mother-to-child transmission in HIV’. The study was conducted in districts that have high prevalence of HIV - Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Dakshina Kannada and Solapur.
The study said that in addition to this, the HIV positive must be given a choice on the decision to marry and have a family or otherwise. Considering various case studies where women were subjected to harassment after testing positive, they felt that it was necessary to address gender-based violence. Nisha Jagdish, director, HIV, FPAI, said that most government centres refused admission to patients with Aids.
“Most set-ups are not willing to conduct abortions, while others discourage women who wish to have a family,” she added. Bearing in mind associated complications that could arise, the Association has said that screening for cervical cancer should be done by the State AIDS Prevention and Control Societies, under the National Rural Health Mission. H R Umesh Aradhya, president, FPAI, said that the Union government had mooted a proposal to introduce sex education in schools and sought the opinion of all. “We have recommended that the topic be taught under the subject ‘life skills’ to avoid any stigma,” he said. He said that with several international bodies withdrawing their support, the Association may soon face a severe financial crisis.