HIV is a disease of recent origin. The mode through which the virus enters the body is of importance. If acquired through blood the symptoms will be different, if through sexual contact the symptoms will be different. The point of contact makes the difference. It is like the sun’s rays reaching the earth. Two rays arriving at the same time, one reaches the south pole and the other the north pole. There is a distance they have acquired over a passage of time and the intensity accordingly differs. At the equator it is more intense and at the poles it is more diffused. Similarly, if it is through blood my understanding of the symptom will be different and I will treat it on a different line. If it is through sexual contact, since it is the vaginal system that is involved I would consider it differently and review it differently.

I have been working for the past three years with an HIV patient in association with the Jankalyan blood bank. Definitely there is a positive movement. People have shown both weight gain and regression. Our tenet is that whether the disease is through internal or external factors like viruses or bacteria, it does not exceed the doshik boundaries of the body. The symptomatology would be understandable in the doshik boundary. Even in the case of HIV he is going to exhibit diarrhea either of the vata type, the kapha type or the pitta and if I can understand that I can treat the patient accordingly. In fact bio–chemical factors show changes for the better. Clinically, each one of them have been showing good signs and the drop out rate is almost negligible. Even though HIV patients do not like their identity to be disclosed due to social reasons, most of my patients have stuck to my treatment, mainly because they have seen improvement and are feeling better. However, I cannot make any claims because the research is still in the early stage. The point of contact of a particular disease is important. It has an effect over the subsequent management of the disease.