Over 85,000 Indians contracted HIV due to unsafe sex during Covid lockdown

More than 85,000 Indians were infected by HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, through unprotected intercourse in 2020-21, when the country was under COVID-19 lockdown.

With 10,498 cases, the western state of Maharashtra topped the list, as per a response to a Right to Information (RTI) query.

The southern state of Andhra Pradesh came in second with 9,521 cases, while its neighbour Karnataka had 8,947 cases within the same time period. West Bengal in the east and the central state of Madhya Pradesh have reported 3,037 and 2,757 instances, respectively.

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In response to the RTI request by Madhya Pradesh-based activist Chandra Shekhar Gaur, the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) provided the information.

According to official data, over 1.7 million people in India have contracted HIV as a result of unprotected intercourse in the last 10 years, albeit the figures are steadily declining.

In 2011-12, 240,000 people were infected with HIV through unprotected intercourse, but by 2020-21, the figure had dropped to 85,268.

Andhra Pradesh has the most cases of HIV transmission in the last ten years, with 3,18,814 cases, followed by Maharashtra with 2,84,577 cases, Karnataka with 2,12,982, Tamil Nadu with 1,16,536, Uttar Pradesh with 1,10,911 cases, and Gujarat with 87,440 cases.

According to the data, there are 23,18,737 people living with HIV in the country as of 2020, including 81,430 children.

HIV attacks the immune system of the body. It can lead to AIDS if not addressed (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Contact with contaminated blood, sperm, or vaginal secretions can transfer the virus.

There is no effective cure for HIV. It can, however, be treated with adequate medical attention.