HYDERABAD: Men in Telangana are falling behind their compatriots in other states when it comes to understanding the risks of HIV/AIDS, authorities said on Tuesday with the percentage of men with HIV awareness dropping from 51% in 2015-16 to a troubling 32% in 2019-20.
The percentage of men who believe that using condoms on a regular basis minimises their risk of contracting HIV has also dropped from 81% to 75% in the same period.
Interestingly, 30.7% of Telangana women have become aware of the link between contraception and STDs in 2019-2020.
In 2015-16, only 29.5% of women were aware of the issue.
The data covering many aspects of awareness shows that the percentage of men with knowledge of the benefits of using contraceptive methods to prevent (HIV/AIDS), has decreased by 20% in the last five years.
The percentage of men (75.3) between the ages of 15-49, who are aware that consistent condom use can reduce the chance of getting HIV/AIDS, has decreased by 6.2% in the last five years.
However, 9.2% of women have become aware of the same issue during the period, at a percentage of 68.9.
According to the data by National AIDS Control Organization (NACO)’s HIV Estimation of 2019, Telangana recorded 1.58 lakh cases, the 6th highest in the country preceded by Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, and Meghalaya.
Experts demand a public awareness campaign on this issue, as more women will face violence as a result of men’s lack of understanding.
