Maharashtra Law Graduate Association has been fighting to eradicate the HIV- AIDS from India by striving to introduce    "Pre-Marital AIDS Test”, AIDS Prevention Act, New Ministry for AIDS Prevention at the Centre and States with the help of respective Governments.  And also this Association have been giving Counseling
for AIDS/HIV affected people, students, workers, prostitutes etc. by introducing various camps, workshops, seminars, women empowerment etc. with the help of like minded NGO s.

India's first Public Interest Litigation has been filed by Maharashtra Law Graduate Association in Mumbai High Court for making Pre- Marriage AIDS Test mandatory between both the parties.  By the way, the Goa Government is considering to introduce 'AIDS' test mandatory before marriage between both the parties in their Assembly.

Today in the world, people face a challenge to HIV- AIDS.   We have lots of technological development, scientific advancement etc. but even then; there is no balance of human life. Therefore no one can predict the mortality rate due to this deadly disease of HIV-AIDS.

India already has 5.1 million people living with HIV, second only to South Africa, which has 5.3 million HIV infections, according to UNAIDS estimates for 2003. And while a little less than 1 million in China have the HIV virus. That number could balloon to 10 million over the next five years if the epidemic is left unchecked there, UNAIDS has warned. And while the disease often feeds on poverty and lack of knowledge, rich and highly developed countries are not immune.  HIV and AIDS are the biggest problems the mankind has to face today and tomorrow. As on today there's no complete cure for HIV/AIDS in the world.

AIDS is the most dangerous disease in the present world, in which human death is a guarantee and medicine for this disease of AIDS are not curable but can extent the human life for some temporary period. The most important thing is that precaution only can control the disease from transmitting from one person to another.    Even if much more methods of precautions are advisable, but, this disease is spreading in the society enormously and ultimately, deaths take place.

As per the Medical research, HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)  is the only virus of AIDS disease. This Virus may enter in the human body through the close contact of blood of HIV infected persons.  For some days this virus may be silent in the human blood and thereafter a medical test/ blood test/ Elisa test could prove that the person's blood is HIV- (HIV negative) or HIV+ (HIV Positive). HIV- (Negative) result
means that the virus to HIV has not been found in the blood i.e. the person is not affected by HIV/AIDS. HIV + (Positive) result means that the virus to HIV have been found in the blood and also indicates that the infection with HIV has occurred.   A person, who has a positive HIV virus in his /her body, will have this infection for the rest of his/her life,
i.e. the person is factually affected by the AIDS virus, and may be in the next one or two years, the patient can live without any symptoms of this disease.  In this period the patient's blood can be contracted with some one else through sexual intercourse, blood transmission etc. because, neither the patient nor the person who gets infected is aware about the virus (HIV) contents in the blood from the transmitter. This virus (HIV)  directly affects the blood cells and decreases the immunity power of the human body.   The defense mechanism in human body, known as the Immune System, fights off the infections and diseases.  The HIV virus damages vital defense mechanism and gradually destroys it. It takes several years/months/days for HIV virus to damage the immune system, so much, so that a person becomes permanently ill and weak.  During this period the HIV infected person may look/ feel healthy. But in fact, in most of the cases they do not even know that they are infected with this virus. Being HIV positive also does not necessarily mean that the person infected by it, one will become seriously ill or look ill immediately.

Transmission of this disease (HIV) is a danger to the society. The HIV infected people are not bothered about it, for the reason that he/she knowing that his/her death is a calculated risk and also due to the social stigma he/she would not disclose the fact to any one. And also, another reason is that, the HIV affected persons, not aware about his/her disease/ health status, will cause a potential risk to a large number of innocent people either through marriage, blood transfusions, sexual intercourse
etc.

In spite of number of HIV prevention drives and educational or awareness  campaigns throughout the country the HIV infection rate is on the rise and the predictions show that this rise will continue in the coming years.

The social stigma in the society towards these HIV inflicted people is another big issue to be addressed in India; therefore the innocent spouses who are infected are not disclosing the fact/truth of this disease (HIV) to any one.   Hence most of such cases of deaths are also unreported due to the social stigma.

Marriage being the most important via media to spread this HIV to the innocent spouse and even to their new born children. It is observed that in India the virus normally affects persons in their productive age i.e between yrs 15 and 45 of age, carrying the HIV to others. The males of this age group mostly visiting the prostitute's, brothels etc. and contract the dreadful HIV virus through them. And the girls/women of this age group are working as commercial sex workers, operating through pick up joints, brothels etc., carry this HIV virus to other non-infected HIV
people, who visits them and have sexual relations with them.

In India most of the marriages takes place between this age group i.e. 15 to 45. Therefore there is chances/risk of spreading this HIV to other innocent spouse and thereafter even to their new born children's too. This is a very sad picture of the Indian society mat the innocent spouse and their new born babies are going to be killed /murdered without any wrong or negligence on their part

DOES INDIA REALLY PREVENT AIDS?

India should not follow other developed countries or relay upon the standards of International level regarding our present challenge to the problems of HIV- AIDS in INDIA. India is a developing country or undeveloped country in the World map; such a country should not follow up the technique of developed countries.  India's social, economical, cultural and rural life is entirely different from the super powers/developed countries. The AIDS awareness programs/ camps, women empowerment etc. could not make its mark in the Indian society that eats the whole lot of foreign funds etc. India needs its own laws for HIV- AIDS, and then only the poor and middle class people will be benefited by such laws.   It is prudent to say that India needed its own laws regarding HIV-AIDS, since India is the second largest country with HIV affected millions of population after South Africa.

KINDS OF AIDS ERADICATION

Mandatory AIDS Test (MAT) before marriage
• AIDS Prevention Act (Central level & State level)
• New Ministry for AIDS Prevention in the Central and State levels.
• "HIV-AIDS", Subject should be introduced in school / college level.