Medicine`

Really holistic healing includes western allopathic healing, as able-bodied as Ayur Vedic, Traditional Chinese Anesthetic and added age-old and added contempo healing techniques. I apprehend the added day that science was invented 500 years or so ago, in Europe. That is absolutely ridiculous. Indian, Chinese and Persian civilizations accept been architecture hospitals and accouterment accurate healing techniques for bags of years.

They may not use the exact aesthetics, medicine
, and procedures that western science does, but to betoken that eastern science is inferior to western science, medicine
, is just aloof hubris.

Right now, the US government is debating the nationalization of bloom care. I am in fact affectionate of aloof about that. I apprehend acceptable arguments on both sides, medicine
, . However, the admiral of the USA is the baton of the American people, and I am accommodating to chase him., medicine
, He says he wants civic bloom care, so I say, ok let’s get it done.

My point in this article, is accepting the western allopathic anesthetic to plan in accord with, and stop suppressing, the alternating healing, medicine
, techniques that are available.

The a lot of important assumption I adduce is that all kinds of doctors and healers are agents and advisers, servants, not admiral or saviors. It is the patients who are amenable and answerable for their own bloom and welfare, not the doctors and counselors. This is a abstract point that should be accomplished in all, medicine
, medical schools. I abstain the medical establishment, because of the attitude of ahead that is so blatant, and built-in in their culture.

And this assumption extends into all aspects of animal society. The educational enactment is the absolute antecedent of this avant-garde day degree system. They are affairs apprenticeship and announcement this attitude that if your ability doesn’t accommodate to their standards, again it isn’t absolute knowledge. Its like an bookish monopoly, the dream badge (Cheap Trick).

As abundant as I try to accomplish this a absolute article, I just can’t abstain my attitude, that the attitude of ahead that our schools are selling, is causing the bribery of our civilization. It is adverse revolutionary, replacing our aphorism of law, with the aphorism of man that we alone during the founding of the United States.

I accept it goes all the way aback to Plato’s Republic, defining a hierarchical society. And I like Plato and his philosophy. It absolutely gets adverse with Nietchze, Freud, Marx, Engels and even Adam Smith announcement cocky absorption as the a lot of advantageous bread-and-butter principle, and that accomplished so alleged action of enlightenment, and the acceleration of the civil humanist state.

Now our schools are teaching kids that a lot of animal beings are animals, organized into this hierarchical state, disqualified by a above chic of animal beings. And of course, the above chic of animal beings are authentic by apprenticeship and credentials. Of advance education, and even credentials, are good. It is laws, acute humans to accept assertive accreditation to do assertive jobs, that is oppressive. Oppression is the absence of justice.

The assortment in animal attributes is one of our greatest strengths. There is no ‘one admeasurement fits all’ for educating and training animal beings. Absolute chargeless action is the best band-aid to poverty, not this absolutist accompaniment that governs every aspect of activity on earth. This attitude is aswell accidental to the bribery of our business organizations, and our economy. I agree, that commercialism is the a lot of acknowledged aesthetics of economics anytime practiced. It has produced added abundance for added humans than any added system.

Being based on cocky absorption and competition, commercialism is inherently corrupt, and unsustainable. Selflessness and cooperation, amends and compassion, are above motivations for a airy band-aid to our bread-and-butter problem.
We can not acquiesce to acquiesce a few advancing, medicine
, humans to aphorism over the all-inclusive majority of people, who just wish to reside in accord and harmony, with anniversary added and our accustomed habitat.

The aphorism of law is an inherent aspect, medicine
, of animal nature. Abandon is lawful, not lawless. The USA has been so successful, because it has unleashed the artistic abandon of the American people. Our educational enactment is replacing the aphorism of law in the censor of our people, with the aphorism of lawyers, and added aristocratic cardinal chic, medicine
, people, who attain their aristocratic cachet through education. And now, our government is legislating laws that alter age-old laws and principles, and ascendancy the minute data of our lives.

America needs to adulation and account life, and deeply angle for freedom, adequation and amends for all humans everywhere.

The United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Animal Rights is the aesthetics of the next bearing of animal civilization. It is cooperative, peaceful, and above to the cocky absorption and antagonism that is anarchic the humans of earth.

Peace be with you all.

“It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you live as you wish.” (Mother Teresa)

Now that the U.S. government has approved the first 13 batches of human embryonic stem cells, enabling researchers using them to get millions of dollars in federal funding, exposing the, medicine
, truth lies with those voices which are progressively being deafened. While, medicine
, much research shows that adult stem cells are more valuable in possibly curing various ailments, the National Institute on Health (NIH) claims as fact studies that adamantly disagree.

There is considerable controversy surrounding embryonic stem cells research (ESCR) because, medicine
, a living human embryo is killed in the process of harvesting the cells. In contrast, adult, medicine
, stem cells can be harvested without a loss of life, and they are readily available from bone marrow, skin, fat, umbilical cord blood and other sources. According to Bradley Mattes, executive director at the Life Issues Institute, a devastating result occurred at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, and was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In some of the patients, the implanted embryonic cells apparently grew too well, churning out so much of a chemical that, medicine
, controls movement that they writhed and jerked uncontrollably. Dr. Paul E. Greene called the uncontrollable movements developed by some patients as “absolutely devastating.” He said, “They chew constantly, their fingers go up and down, their, medicine
, writs flex and distend. It’s a real nightmare. And we can’t selectively turn it off. No more fetal transplants. We are absolutely and adamantly convinced that this should be considered for research only.”

Research has also shown that embryonic stem cell implants have been known to result in brain tumors within two years of the procedure. In addition, the ES (Embryonic Stem)cells need to be genetically modified and extensive manipulation in vitro, medicine
, before they can be transplanted safely. According to Dr. Mae-Wan Ho, “There is already evidence that ES cells are genetically unstable in long term culture, and are especially prone to chromosomal abnormalities. The risks, medicine
, involved in using the cytomegalovirus promoter to drive over-expression of the transcription factor are undetermined. To avoid immune rejection, the ES cells have to, medicine
, be tissue-matched from a bank of stem cells created from ’spare’ human embryos. Otherwise, a special human embryo has to be created for the purpose, by transferring the patient’s genetic material into, medicine
, an empty egg, a procedure prone to failure and morally objectionable to many, including scientists.

Alternatively, adult stem cells could be transplanted directly without genetic modification or pre-treatments. They simply differentiate according to cues from the surrounding tissues and do not give uncontrollable growth, medicine
, or tumors. The adult stem cells also show high degrees of genomic stability during culture. There is no problem with immune rejection because the cells can readily be isolated from the patients requiring transplant. And there is no moral objection involved. Better yet, research can be directed towards encouraging adult stem cells to regenerate and repair damaged tissues in situ, without the need for cell isolation and in vitro expansion. By minimizing intervention, risks are reduced, as well as cost, making the treatment available to everyone and not just the rich.”
Some medical breakthroughs with adult stem cells are listed below:

* Researchers at Harvard Medical School say adult stem cells may eliminate the need for embryonic ones. The researchers experienced a permanent reversal of Type 1 diabetes in mice by killing the cells responsible for the diabetes. The animals’ adult stem cells took over and regenerated missing cells needed to produce insulin and eliminate the disease. The results hold promise for rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus and more than 50 other ailments.
* At the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, a man with a rare, potentially fatal skin disorder that was so severe that he could no longer eat, is now symptom-free after receiving a transplant of his own adult stem cells.
* Doctors at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago extracted the adult stem cells from the blood of two Crohn’s patients and successfully used them to rebuild their faulty immune systems.
* Dr. Edward Holland of the Northern Kentucky Eye Laser Center in the greater Cincinnati metropolitan area, is using adult stem cell transplants as part of a treatment to dramatically improve the eyesight of his patients.
* New research in the UK on rats indicates that transplants of adult stem cells can help stroke victims regain movement, senses and understanding. They also show that the adult cells were more effective than cells from aborted babies.
* The Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York came to similar conclusions.
* A study by the Institute for Stem Cell Research in Milan, Italy showed that certain cells from the brains of adult rats can be used to generate muscular tissue.
* Researchers at the University of South Florida in Tampa have found that adult stem cells from the umbilical cord blood may be able to help repair damaged brain tissue after a stroke.
* Scientists at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ have found that bone marrow cells may be converted into replacement nerve cells, able to treat brain and nerve injuries. Dr. Ira Black and his team were able to convert 80% of the bone marrow cells into nerve cells.

Although I am not in the medical profession, much of the research, medicine
, I have done points to the conclusion that embryonic stems cells are not as valuable as some “scientists” in the political scheme would have you believe. Even if they were, who has the right to decide who should live and who should die? To kill a human child for the purpose attempting to save the life of another is very dangerous ground. It could be called “scientific” prostitution. Considering the fact that this destruction of life is going to cost the taxpayer’s millions of dollars, should we let the people, who work hard to pay for this against their will, vote for whose lives should try to be saved, whose life should be sacrificed for the sake of embryonic stem cells.

It seems like a pro-death culture in which we are living. So-called “ethical” policies are in place to preserve and save lives, but in reality death to the most innocent of lives are being encouraged. Dangerous and frightening policies are being decided in our midst with only half-truths being proposed as facts. Who has the authority to decide who should live and who should not? Is this for the the government and its politicians to decide? We all know what happened to Jesus when His fate was put in the hands of political and religious authorities of His time. Hitler is another example of what can happen when this type of power is allowed to be acquired. It stands to reason that no one human being should have the authority to make this decision.

Why are the governments and politicians so adamant about, medicine
, hiding truthful research results? We saw this about a week or two ago when the global warming hoax was exposed through computer hacking. Should not we seek the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth on which to base our decisions? Are we really even making the decisions anymore or are those who want to fundamentally change this country into a global government making the choices for us? Can our voices even be heard through the late night votes where blackmail is being used for “what is in the best interest of all”?

It is time to “legalize the US Constitution” as Ron Paul stated in an interview with Fox News this week. “We the people” need to stand up for Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. We were endowed with these rights by our Creator! They were not given to us by a political piece of paper. For this reason alone, we should claim our inheritance and make our voices heard.

What happens, medicine
, when those who have given themselves the authority to determine who must live and who must die, decide that it is time for our children or loved ones to die? What type of life-destroying procedure will be shoved down our throats next in the name of saving the world? I am sure that whatever it is, it will be made to sound righteous and moral. All the while the serpent will be lurking in the darkness eagerly awaiting the chance to strike us with its venom. What is the difference between a terrorist who bombs a building and kills over 3,000 innocent people, and “ethical”, medicine
, embryonic stem cell research that has the potential to destroy many more innocent people?

REFERENCES

http://www.lifeissues.org/cloningstemcell/bradsarticle.html

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/stemcells2.php

When a person is an experience physically, mentally or emotionally traumatic, the mind deals with the situation in one of several. Some people abuse alcohol, food, medicines or other substances to numb the feelings they have inside. Others mourn for a short time to regain their faith, balance and mental health, and somehow miraculously move on. But the rest of us are usually those who are very analytical and logical, have trouble dealing with situations deeply troubling. So, we repeat the painful situation over and over in our minds, searching for an answer. But the problem is that the answer can be found in the rational mind, because the problem is on an emotional level. Therefore, the solution must come from the heart to be healed and he spent. Here are the step by step, I have adjusted to obsessive thoughts about an ex-End: Step 1: Do not take anything your Ex ever said or not personally,, new medicine
, because nothing, new medicine
, your Ex ever said or done around you are. Even if you your ex squarely on everything that went wrong in your relationship is conscious of guilt, her statement comes only who they are, this has absolutely nothing to do with the person you’re doing. Step 2: But do not take your Ex personally is a coin with two sides. If during the heat of an argument that has to react and tell your ex how stupid they are and how everything is her fault, then do nothing with them. Their statements reflect only the type of person are you,, new medicine
, a person who wants to judge the guilt and. It has nothing to do with your ex. Therefore, strive to be aware of who you are, regardless of how your ex is doing. Make a list of all the qualities you admire in others, for example: kindness, confidence, compassion and respect. Chances are you already on the qualities in you. Be very careful not to make that statement does not reflect who you are, even if you may be tried, the pain and anger you yield. Step 3 As morbid as it sounds, remember that in 100 years, you and your ex is dead, and nothing is what you keep on fighting each memory. If your Ex has the obsessive need to administer justice and provide you all with a view to their whim and say, “You are absolutely right.” Not only does this strengthen your relationship with Death and save an enormous amount of personal power, your ex will not be able to discuss with you, because these non-verbal message that there will not matter too. As one of my favorite authors Wayne Dyer, said: “Have you ever noticed how it is difficult not to argue with someone who is obsessed with right? Step 4: When the pain and anger is overwhelming, you distance yourself from your ex completely. And no matter what, to kneel and pray for your Ex every morning. Pray that your husband all the health, prosperity and happiness, you are given for himself. Even if you’re not a religious person, or you do not believe in God, is the act to liberate themselves. In the twelve-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, they are taught, for people who have a deep resentment to pray. At first you will not want a word of prayer. But when you say the prayer are always for two weeks, you really understand, and there is a part of you that your ex is realized, only a person with their own inadequacies, weaknesses, new medicine
, and gaps. If you go, new medicine
, further, you realize your Ex may also see a very hurt and scared person – even if they appear to apparently very hostile, aggressive and manipulative. Of course, no matter what happens to your ex in their childhood or even in their daily lives – it does not give them a reason to abuse you. But the realization that your ex has a certain number of questions that are addressed in their spare time, it will help you to replace the pain and anger you with compassion and understanding. Step 5: Own its own power. Because if you know who you are, no matter what situation or circumstance that comes your way, it transforms you into a very powerful person. This is the step that absolutely baffles your Ex, because you are who you are and do not let them slack do – it sends your Ex the non-verbal message that you are who you are and what they are. Above all, it tells you that your ex will not take place all their shit! If you encounter your ex enmity with kindness and with compassion to blame your ex, it frustrates them no end, because your ex will not let you play their game. Step 6: Come to understand you, that you understand all, new medicine
, of this work no other reason than to know who you are, make your sense of balance back and regain your personal power. If you do all this work to manipulate your ex, and they want you back, your ex subconsciously sense your intentions, because it can be one time or another, you slip and let your intentions be known without realizing it. When this happens, you give all your energy for your ex, and start again at step 1 Step 6 is often complicated because if you master each step up to this point, your ex certainly want to bring into harmony. At the very least, your ex will start against the goodness to send his way in a positive mode. But whether you want to reconcile with your ex, his only friends, or simply remember more obsessive thinking – you only understand it a goal to know who you are, make your sense of balance again and resuming your personal power. If you do all this work just to manipulate your ex how you respond, it may want to work for a period of very short time. But I assure you that your ex gets to the fact that your intentions are genuine, and you lose your personal power. Not only that, but if, new medicine
, you are who you really are, unplug the right people in your life. And perhaps your ex is not the person you want to be! And the only way you know whether you should be with your ex or someone else, if you really are who you are. Step, new medicine
, 7: They do not forgive your ex, no matter what they have done or. Unfortunately, it is not enough to say at this time: “I forgive my ex.” And he stay there. Forgiveness has little to do with words and do more with this action. Before this step, I recommend reading on the theme of forgiveness, and reading heroic stories about the power of forgiveness. I once read a story about a woman whose daughter brutally raped and murdered by a man who eventually captured and sent to prison. As you can imagine, the woman spent years of his life in rage and obsession over what this man for his daughter. I am sure that “There are no words to feel how much pain the woman. But it somehow came across a book entitled, The Course of Miracles and began reading what to do, the power of forgiveness, new medicine
, to bring it . She began to pray for the people, and eventually sent him a letter informing that they had forgiven him for his actions against her daughter, even if it does not tolerate his behavior. To make a long story short, the man’s wife wrote back and apologized. The woman felt compelled to see this young man in prison, and she holds him, as he said, during her first visit. To make a long story short, they became friends, and she became his number, a lawyer in an attempt to release him from custody. There are not many people walk on the planet as courageous as this woman, but an extreme example of what is possible in each of us. I thought this woman contacted before my Ex with forgiveness in my heart. I have a gift to my ex and my ex-wife has left me for that seemed to be pale in comparison to the history of this woman. Of course, it made me reach a little over a year to this point, and much introspection. So far, I love my ex with all my heart on a platonic level. We live in two completely different cities, but still call and send messages to the occasion as good friends. I am also in a healthy relationship with someone whom I am deeply in love. Next week is our second anniversary. I do not think that I am so happy and so in love with this new person I am today, I did not let go of anger, bitterness and resentment I once felt for my ex, which is another reason why it is so important forgiveness is. Many people believe that your feelings for someone you into a romantic relationship, is to hate or even a way to show they are “for” person. But I think just the opposite is true. If you are totally “on” a person that you really only the best – and you are emotionally completely out how relieved they act or react to. Another point to consider is the fact that the love is real, if you have your Ex for the person who they are, not the person that you wanted them to be. And just because the romantic relationship does not work, does not mean that your ex is not a nice person.

“How can I get my girlfriend to love me, even if I cheated on her?”, a guy I will call “Ray” asked me recently. Ray told me he tried everything he could to get her to forgive him and take him back. He bought flowers, candy, said “I’m sorry” about 50 times, even while on his knees. None of that worked, though, Ray’s girlfriend just sees him as a desperate, pathetic creature who cheated on her. Actually, begging and bribing usually do not work all that well, long term anyway. Remember that this girl is really hurt and fuming mad, you need to be careful. Winning your girlfriend back under most circumstances can be difficult, but if you have cheated then, home medicine, you really need help. But that is what we are here for, to help,, home medicine, we have been asked before “how can I get my girlfriend to love me” by guys who have made the mistake of cheating on her. The secret is to come up with a way that really shows her how sorry you are without making yourself look like a pathetic, undesirable wretch that no one would want. So let us look at one winning strategy that others have had success with before. Cheating is serious business, so do not be surprised if the medicine tastes a little bitter. In order to regain your girlfriend’s heart you are going to write her a letter using good old fashioned pen and paper. This is NOT an email or text message. Use the post office to deliver it. In the letter you are going to tell her that she is right (which she already knows and will agree with). Say that you agree that it is good for her to take some time with her decision and that the two of you need to go separate ways. You have seen this coming for a while now and are ready to accept it. After that, make a short apology. Tell her how sorry you are, you made a horrible mistake and are now suffering the consequences you deserve. The, home medicine, affair is the biggest regret of your life. It showed a lack of respect for her and your relationship and you are truly sorry. Then, at the end of the letter, mention that something wonderful has happened in your life that you would like to tell her about whenever she is ready to talk to you again. Sign off the letter in a rather neutral way and then mail it after making a photocopy for yourself to keep. Your now ex girlfriend will probably be blown away by the fact that you actually sat down and wrote her a letter. Inconsiderate cheaters do not usually do something like that. This is a classy way of showing her that you do respect her and care that you hurt her. At the same time, though, you indicate that you are not moping around in self pity or begging her for her time and attention. You are ready to restart your life and move forward. The ball is now in her court and, chances, home medicine, are, this has aroused her curiosity and even renewed her love interest towards you – just a little bit at least. While waiting for her to contact you make sure you stay busy, take care of yourself, look good and always be upbeat around others. We do not want her to think you are sitting at home by the phone waiting for her call. When you do hear from her, you need to be ready and on top of your game. So do not let this get you down, keep going forward. Give her time. When Ray asked “How can I get my girlfriend to love me, even if I cheated on her?” I asked him if he was serious about getting her back. He said yes. What I told him and wrote above is just the start. If you really want to succeed at getting her back you are not done yet. Get every last detail at our website. The address is http://www.RelationshipAdviceHelp.com. What are you waiting for? Let’s get going right now.

HIV has reached epidemic proportions in India and it is predicted that this nation will be next in line after sub-Saharan Africa to be devastated by the virus. India has had a sharp increase in the estimated number of HIV infections, from a few thousand in the early 1990s to a working estimate of about 3.8 million children and adults living with HIV/AIDS in 2001 (the second largest number of infected people after South Africa). With a population of one billion, the HIV epidemics in India will have a major impact on the overall spread of HIV in Asia and the Pacific and indeed worldwide. Although the prevalence of HIV in India may seem relatively low (0.7% of the general adult population compared with rates of 20% and over in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana), the infection has now been detected in all states and is no longer confined to vulnerable risk groups, such as sex workers and transport workers, or to urban areas. Most of the Indian states have a population greater than a majority of the countries in Africa.

Most of the Indian states have a population greater than a majority of the countries in Africa. When the first case of HIV was discovered in Chennai in 1986, the Indian Government responded to the HIV epidemic immediately. Recognising the seriousness, home medicine, of the situation, the Government launched a National, home medicine, AIDS Control Programme in 1987 but a two year delay in, home medicine, testing blood donors is estimated to have resulted in over 350 000 HIV infections. The situation was similar to China, which also has a poorly regulated blood donor system. Because of delays in testing blood donors, in the first quarter of 2001 there was an 67% increase in new HIV infections, and the number of HIV infected individuals in China is expected to reach over 10 million in the next decade. By 1990, HIV levels were rising in India, amongst high-risk groups such as sex workers in Maharashtra and IV drug users in Manipur. In 1992, the Government established the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) to formulate policy, prevention and control programmes. In that year, the Government launched a Five -Year Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS prevention and established sentinel sites across the country, to monitor the spread of HIV amongst the general population. When surveillance systems in Tamil Nadu, (home to some 60 million people), showed that HIV infection rates among pregnant women were tripling between 1995 and 1997, the State Government acted decisively. This included hiring a leading international advertising agency to promote condom use without offending the many people who do not require them and encouraging compassion for those affected.

HIV infection in India is currently concentrated among poor, marginalized groups, including commercial sex workers, truck drivers, and migrant labourers but if effective prevention efforts are not implemented immediately, India potentially could have 37 million people infected with HIV by the year 2005. To put this another way, this figure is roughly equal to the total number of HIV infections in the world today. Unfortunately, this rising HIV rate is also likely to fuel India’s epidemic of tuberculosis as this pathology is the most common opportunistic infection in Indian patients with AIDS. Evidence from successful AIDS control projects around the world shows that targeted intervention programmes by peer educators among the groups most vulnerable to HIV are the most effective way to contain the rapid spread of HIV infection. Other interventions, such as Brazil’s AIDS treatment program with antiretroviral drugs have also been successful. In 1997, the Brazilian Government started producing generic AIDS medicines and distributing them to HIV patients, free of charge. Although controversial at the time, the decision, home medicine, stands as a turning point in the battle against HIV and Latin America’s most populous nation has become a showcase in the fight against the disease. Two decades ago, when the first cases of AIDS emerged in Brazil, health experts forecast that by now, the human immunodeficiency virus would afflict at least 1.2 million Brazilians. Instead, infection rates have returned to 1995 levels. Over the past five years, the number of AIDS-related deaths has plummeted in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, the regions most deeply affected. In Rio de Janeiro, deaths fell by 40 percent; in Sao Paulo, they dropped by 53.6 percent. Brazil will spend $400 million this year to distribute medicines to 81,000 AIDS patients.

There are promising signs that India, like Uganda will find, home medicine, the political will to control its growing HIV epidemic. The Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, has spoken openly about the need for HIV control, has met infected people, and has urged the corporate sector to respect the rights of infected employees. Uganda’s blunt public HIV prevention campaign, resulted in greater than a 50% reduction in HIV seroprevalence over four years. Several other developing countries are recognised for their successful public health response to HIV/AIDS. Thailand’s ministry of health established a policy that all pregnant women should be provided with voluntary counselling and testing for HIV, offered zidovudine; and infants born to HIV-infected mothers are given zidovudine. In contrast, the South African government determined until recently that antiretroviral therapy for perinatal HIV prevention was too expensive (a decision, which cost over 70 000 infant lives each year), home medicine, . Despite this, many people feel that the current trajectory of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in India is unlikely to change short term and the nation has only a small but rapidly closing window of opportunity for stemming the epidemic. India’s socio-economic status, cultural myths on sex and sexuality and a huge population of marginalised people make it extremely vulnerable to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. If they fail, the AIDS situation in India could become like that in many of the worst affected African countries.

For India to respond effectively to infection trends and limit the costly social and economic impact of HIV and AIDS, its efforts need to be accelerated, intensified and expanded while the country remains at a low prevalence of HIV and there is still time to slow the spread of the epidemic. Around 70% of India’s population lives in rural areas, once though to be relatively immune to the epidemic, but recent studies, however, suggest that HIV has already begun to spread in several rural areas. The epidemic is now moving beyond its initial focus among sex workers and drug users and is shifting towards the general population. With HIV prevalence doubling every one to two years in certain groups, there is still only a narrow window of opportunity over the next few years in which to prevent the HIV epidemic, home medicine, from becoming much harder to control.

The Indian Government and individual state Governments have launched prevention programmes to reduce high-risk sex and there is evidence that in some states these programmes are resulting in safer behaviour. An intervention programme among commercial sex workers in Sonagachi, Calcutta has been able to increase condom use from 0% in 1992 to more than 70% in 1992-1994 and sustained this at over 70% until 1998. If current prevention efforts can be scaled up and sustained, India may just be able to bring down the rates of HIV infection and avert a disaster. We await the progress.

HIV/AIDS Situation in India:

FACT: The World Health Organization of the UN now estimates that India has more HIV positive individuals living within its borders than any other country in the world.

FACT: Teenagers and those in their early twenties now constitute 50% of new cases testing HIV positive according to the Chennai based DEGA institute

FACT: Since most HIV positive people belong to the age group of greatest economic development, the UN Development Program calculates that it loses India’s economy presently loses about $14 billion a year.