- By Anushka Vats
- Thu, 31 Oct 2024 12:48 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In an infamous incident that took place in Uttarakhand's Nainital, over 19 youths tested positive for HIV or AIDS after having sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old girl, according to a report by The New Indian Express.
The girl, reportedly addicted to heroin, had physical relationships with young men who financed her addiction.
"This is a disturbing trend, and we're taking immediate action. The girl's addiction led to this unfortunate situation, and we're working to provide counselling and support," a district health officer was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.
The incident came to the light when the young men started falling ill, and hospital tests in Ramnagar, Nainital, confirmed their HIV diagnoses.
Reportedly, young men began going to the Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) at Ramdatt Joshi Joint Hospital because of severe health issues.
Testing indicated that many individuals were HIV positive, which led to an investigation that identified a shared connection between the cases.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Nainital's chief medical officer Harish Chandra Pant said, "Typically, around 20 HIV-positive cases are detected annually. However, within just five months this year, 19 new cases have been reported."
He also expressed concern over the sudden spike in the HIV cases.
"What's even more disturbing is that several of these individuals were married, and their spouses have also contracted the disease. This is a wake-up call for our community," said the medical officer.
"These young men had no idea they were exposed to HIV through the same 17-year-old girl," TNIE quoted a counsellor as saying.
"During counselling sessions, we discovered that they all had physical relationships with her, unaware of her smack addiction. The girl, struggling with addiction, engaged in these relationships to fund her habit. Unfortunately, the youths became easy prey," added the counsellor.