Three HIV Couples To Tie Knot In Surat

Oct 03,2006 00:00 by newseditor

In an attempt to improve upon the already isolated lives of young people infected by the HIV virus, three HIV positive couples have decided they will get married and lead their life together in Surat, Gujarat. The special matchmaking event was attended by 45 men and 15 women. Most of them being widows below the age of 25 and men were in their mid-30s.

According to statistics by the UN India has more than five million HIV cases, highest and than any other country in the world.

Daksha Patel, head of Gujarat State Network for People living with HIV/Aids - India's first marriage bureau for HIV positive people told BBC that the idea is to help those suffering from HIV-Aids lead a normal social life.

"Unmarried men of marriageable age who are HIV positive are under pressure from their families and friends to get married but it is difficult for them to reveal their status as there is no guarantee that they will be accepted," she said.

She also added that it is better that "an HIV positive person marries another infected person because if one of the partners is HIV negative, there are chances of his or her also getting infected."

"I was ostracized by my family ... after they found out that I was HIV-positive," PTI quoted one participant, Malaybhai, as saying.

"I have come here to share my experience of finding the right match and interact with others who are going to be couples soon," she was quoted as saying.

In Surat, more than 2,500 people have tested positive for HIV.