Posts
When Iran discovered its first HIV case in a haemophiliac child in 1987, neither health professionals nor ordinary people could foresee a day when the threat of Aids would loom over the country. Officially, the United Nations Development Programme in Iran puts the prevalence of HIV at less than 0.1 per cent of the 73m-strong population.
But Marzieh Vahid-Dastjerdi, the country's health minister, has repeatedly warned of the eruption of an "Aids volcano" and her ministry fears that anywhere between 83,000 and 120,000 people are HIV positive.
The main cause of transmission is intravenous drug injection but sexual transmission is rising at an alarming rate, experts say.
Ms Dastjerdi has recently urged young people to "behave morally" or, she warned, the HIV population might increase by five times in the near future.
Experts say rapid urbanisation and economic problems such as high inflation and unemployment have raised the marriage age and boosted divorce rates. These factors have led to increasing rates of drug addiction and sex outside marriage.
"Joblessness and having insufficient income to get married cause some young people to get caught in illegitimate sexual relations," says Massoud Mardani, a member of the National Committee to Care and Treat Aids, a state body.
Meanwhile, there is a concern about a significant rise in the number of women who are HIV positive. The health ministry says half of female sex workers may be HIV positive.
Abbas Sedaghat, head of the health ministry's Aids Office, says the increase in sexual transmission and the number of infected women has set off "alarm bells". He expresses hope that preventive measures, including educating young people of the consequences of their behaviour, could slow down the spread of Aids.
But experts warn that amphetamine stimulants and ecstasy-type substances that are increasingly used by young people are stoking high-risk behaviour.
The government has provided high-risk groups, including drug addicts and prisoners, with a range of HIV-related services. These include drug replacement therapies, antiretroviral treatment, voluntary testing and counselling, access to condoms and sterile needles and razors.
Aids tests, medicines and psychotherapy are free of charge in government-owned clinics.
In October, Michel Sidibe, UNAids executive director, praised Iran's work in addressing its HIV epidemic in prisons and among drug addicts as "progressive".
Iran's 250 prisons, rehabilitation camps and juvenile correctional centres house about 180,000 inmates. Nearly half of all inmates are imprisoned on drug-related charges.
However, some experts believe that Iran could do better.
Minoo Mohraz, head of Iranian Research Centre for HIV/Aids, affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences (MCLS.PK - news) , says: "Our reaction against the virus has been a bit slow. The only way to control it is education through media."
According to the health ministry, only 16.5 per cent of young people aged between 15 and 24 are aware of the disease.
As a result, the authorities plan to implement a comprehensive five-year plan next year prioritising education of vulnerable women - including drug addicts, those married to drug users, and sex workers - and young people.
More than a decade after being diagnosed with HIV, Amir, a 35-year-old artist living in Tehran, is concerned about young people's widespread ignorance.
"When I was diagnosed, I could not even pronounce it and thought I would die in a week," he says.
He was infected with a contaminated needle used for tattooing an eagle on his shoulder, without being aware of the dangers.
Amir has not given up hope of leading a normal life. He has married a woman who is HIV positive and continues to play the tar and setar, Iran's traditional string music instruments.
"From that moment, I decided to go to schools, universities and to educate the youth not to be as ignorant as I was," he says.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
