Dimapur, Nagaland
In silence, Naga PLHIV community still fighting stigma
Esther Verma
Dimapur, Dec. 1 (EMN): Ruhi (name changed) is a 32-year-old woman from Dimapur. When her husband passed away in 2005, his dying wish was for her to marry another person named Raj. So to fulfil his wish, Ruhi agreed to settle down with Raj.
Her ordeals started from the first night of her second marriage.
After the physical, mental and emotional torture, her new husband forced her into sex work ‘in order to meet the needs of the family’.
Whenever she refused, Ruhi narrated, the husband would come home under the influence of alcohol and force himself upon her.
Gradually, she started to feel weak physically prompting her to consult a doctor. The initial diagnosis was that she was suffering from trauma and anaemia. Later on, she tested positive for HIV—suspected to have acquired when she was forced into sex work by the husband.
On several occasions, Raj would give her death threats and humiliate her family. Ruhi has been living under this circumstance for the past 11-12 years.
This is just one story of People Living with HIV and Aids (PLHIV) in Nagaland, a state that falls under the category of ‘generalised epidemic’ because of high HIV-prevalence among the antenatal clinics group, according to a United Nations Development Programme report.
Also, data available data with Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS), places Nagaland in third among states with highest HIV prevalence rate in the country.
Between April 2006 to August 2019, a total of 10,41,248 people were tested in Nagaland; out of which 21,269 tested HIV positive.
Amiya (name changed) is another PLHIV. She is 19 years of age, and is believed to have acquired the virus during birth from her mother who was also a PLHIV.
Amiya openly spoke about how stigma remains in today’s society and PLHIV are looked down upon every day. “I feel ashamed to even go and get my antiretroviral therapy (ART) medicines to treat my infection,” she said.
Amiya shared that even her family members treat her differently. HIV is not spread through physical contact, tears, sweat or saliva, she said. “It is like other people think breathing the same air as me will cause them to get infected as well,” said Amiya.
An official from NSACS told Eastern Mirror that the main causes of the high prevalence of HIV in Nagaland were lack of awareness, failure to engage in safe sex. “Knowledge is the best way of self protection when it comes to HIV and Aids,” said the official.
While the infection is life-long, many have sought support and psychosocial guidance through counselling; and people-centred approach to health care, particularly through primary health services, aims to deliver comprehensive health services to PLHIV, in which all their health issues are addressed.
One such centre is the Sakhi–One Stop Centre in Dimapur that plays a vital role in helping women and children; and facilitates access to integrated range of services including medical aid, police assistance, legal aid and case management, psychosocial counselling and temporary support.
The centre’s administrator said that many women have been infected with HIV in the same manner as Ruhi. ‘They did not ask for the virus but acquired it after being forced into sex work; it has been one of the major causes,’ said the administrator.
According to the World Health organisation (WHO), HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed more than 32 million lives so far. However, with increasing access to effective HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care, including for opportunistic infections, HIV infection has become a manageable chronic health condition, enabling PLHIV to lead long and healthy lives.
There were approximately 37.9 million PLHIV at the end of 2018.
As a result of concerted international efforts to respond to HIV, coverage of services has been steadily increasing. In 2018, 62% of adults and 54% of children living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries were receiving lifelong antiretroviral therapy.