INDIA GOING THROUGH SOCIAL CHANGE: U.N. OFFICIAL

NEW DELHI - India is also going through a process of social change like
most liberal countries of the world did before they changed laws
related to sexual behaviour.

"The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government here is in a
difficult position as far as amending Section 377 of the Constitution
is concerned because of the coming elections as any changes could be
misrepresented," according to Jeffrey O'Malley, Director HIV/AIDS
Group, Bureau of Development Policy of the United Nations Development
Programme.

Talking to The Hindu during his visit to India, Mr. O'Malley
appreciated the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry's move to
amend Section 377 that makes unnatural sex (men having sex with men)
an offence. However, the Centre has not supported the proposal.

"We need to change the laws, sensitise the police and judiciary," he
said while explaining that amendments were not only about "unnatural
sex" or moral or cultural issues, but also about promoting public
health and widening the outreach of those working in the field of
HIV/AIDS prevention. Evidence and experience had shown that where
provisions like Section 377 prevailed, discrimination was rampant and
access to HIV/AIDS treatment was less and prevalence of the disease
high.

"But when discriminatory laws have been removed, marginalised people
have got access to treatment and prevention facilities like condoms,"
he added.

Speaking highly of the efforts made by India in HIV/AIDS prevention,
Mr. O'Malley said the results had been particularly encouraging in the
southern States. Tamil Nadu responded urgently to the situation and
succeeded in lowering the infection rate while Andhra Pradesh was
slower in response and the outcome of the efforts was yet to be seen.
Now Karnataka had also started taking urgent steps.

However, he warned that there was no room for complacency. "India has
achieved success in checking the spread of this dreaded disease
through commercial sex workers but transmission through gay sex, and
injectable-drug users is still an area of concern. "Injectable-drug
use can also be controlled through targeted interventions but is
difficult to control or change people's sexual habits."