A gist of the contents at the URL:
Development of Models and Approaches to Improve Sexual Health of Young, Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission of HIV and Care and Support for PLWHA: Coimbatore District Situational Assessment.
MSSSS-EC Innovative Action Research Project, January 2003.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
India has an estimated 4.1 million people in the country infected with HIV, an overall HIV adult prevalence rate of 0.8%. An overwhelming majority of these (90%) are in the age group of 15-44 years those who are sexually active and economically productive. Driven primarily by heterosexual transmission, HIV infection is moving steadily beyond its initial focus among commercial sex workers and their clients, STD patients and Injecting Drug Users (IDUs), into the wider population. There is now evidence to show that the HIV epidemic is fast spreading to the general population.
MSSSS (Mother Saradadevi Social Service Society), implementing an Innovative Action Research Project, supported by European Commission with an aim to develop models and approaches in three program areas viz. Sexual Health of Young (SHY), Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) and Care and Support for people living with HIV/AIDS (C&S). The project is pilot in nature, planned for five years in four districts of Tamil Nadu, India. The purpose of the project is to contribute to the knowledge base on intervention models addressing vulnerable communities in three program areas.
The first step was to understand the situation in each district with respect to vulnerabilities of young towards acquiring STD/HIV/AIDS and Care and Support for people living with HIV/aids, for which this study was commissioned during January 2003.
The objective of the study was to assess the existing status of sexual and reproductive health of young, prevention of parent to child transmission of HIV and assess their vulnerability to acquiring STI/ HIV and with respect to care and support services for PLWHA, in Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, India, with an aim to develop models and approaches for effectively addressing problems identified.
The study was conducted by the Research Sub-Committee set up for this purpose, and facilitated by the Catalyst Management Services Private Limited (CMS), Bangalore.
