06 September 2010
Dr V.C. Shanmuganandan
Parents should know that HIV does not spread through touch or playing together. There are several other diseases which are more communicable, so parents should worry about this.
They should understand that there are only three ways through which the HIV virus spreads – through sexual intercourse with an infected person, direct contact with infected blood and from an infected mother to her unborn child.
Apart from these three reasons, there are no other ways that this virus can spread. The infection is also not passed on through sharing of food, or by sitting next to an affected child. It is a baseless fear. In fact, when we travel or go to public places with children, we are not even aware of how many HIV positive people we are rubbing shoulders with.
When the children are just victims of their circumstances how can they be blamed for the ailment? Debarring them from school is not right. This is unjust in medical parlance as studying with other children does not involve the risk on pass on this dangerous infection to them.
Dr V.C. Shanmuganandan, president, Indian Medical Association (IMA), Bengaluru branch
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