- HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection was first diagnosed in India in 1986 among the sex workers in the state of Tamil Nadu, located southern part of India. Another well documented spread of HIV is in Mumbai (Bombay), capital city in the state of Maharashtra, located in the western part of India (AVERT.ORG, 2006)
- There is an increase in numbers of HIV infection from few thousands in the early 1990s to an estimate of 5.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS(Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) in the year 2004 (AVERT.ORG, 2006).
- Apart from South Africa, India a country of over a billion people holds the second largest number of HIV infection in the world (UNAIDS India, 2004).
- Infected districts in India have doubled since the year 2002 to 2004, from 47 districts to 111 districts across the country. In the state of Tamil Nadu, a population of approximately 60 million people showed that HIV infection rates among pregnant women had tripled to 1.25% in two years (1995-1997). In many states and territories, the average antenatal HIV prevalence is based on reports from fewer than five clinics (Indian HIV& AIDS Statistics, August 2005).
- In Mumbai (Bombay) population of 16.4 million HIV prevalence has reached to 50% in sex workers, 36% in sexual transmitted infection (STD) patients and 2.5% in women attending antenatal clinics ( Indian HIV & AIDS Statistics, August 2005).
- As of May 2005, 92% of all nationally reported AIDS cases have been found in 10 of the 38 States Union Territories. The greatest numbers were in Maharashtra and Gujarat in the west; Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in the south; and Manipur in the north-east (Indian HIV& AIDS Statistics, August 2005).
- Sexual transmission is the main route of transmission of HIV. It accounts for 86% of the HIV infection spread. It is contracted by married and unmarried men through sex workers. The other 14% are by other routes such as blood transfusion, mother-to-child transmission and injection drug use (IDU). Over 35% of young people (ages 15-24 years) in India are at high-risk (UNAIDS India, 2004).
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