World AIDS Day 2025: ‘How Did You Get It?,' The Question That Haunts India’s Youth Born With HIV

Add as a preferred source on Google

There's a whole generation in India that has grown up with HIV, not because of lifestyle choices, but because they were born with it. They're now young adults, trying to study, date, work, and live like everyone else, yet quietly carrying the weight of a condition that still invites judgment. Even though treatment has transformed HIV into a manageable illness, the stigma around it hasn't evolved as fast, and that's the burden they battle every day.

On this World AIDS Day, we spoke to Dr Ranjith J, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Narayana Health City, who explained the stigma behind AIDS and why it is important to address it.

Despite medical advances, social stigma around HIV remains deeply rooted. According to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India has recorded a significant 44-46.25% reduction in new HIV infections since 2010, a decline that surpasses the global average of 39%. The country has also seen a sharp 76.54% drop in AIDS-related deaths during the same period due to expanded access to treatment.

Stigma by Misinformation

Photo Credit: Freepik

To comprehend the complex challenges faced by these young people, we must first address the confusion that fuels social stigma. Decades on, the terms HIV and AIDS are still often used interchangeably. We all know that HIV is a virus, and AIDS is a consequence.

"HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the virus that attacks the body's immune system. With effective, consistent daily medication (Antiretroviral Therapy or ART), the virus is suppressed to an undetectable level. It is a manageable chronic condition," said Dr Ranjith.

• AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is the most advanced and severe stage of an untreated HIV infection, diagnosed when the immune system is critically damaged.
• The crucial distinction is this: Everyone with AIDS has HIV, but the majority of people with HIV do not have AIDS. An undetectable person with HIV is healthy and poses no risk of sexual transmission.
• Conversely, a person with AIDS is severely ill and requires immediate, life-saving treatment. The failure to grasp this difference ensures the stigma, which is often more debilitating than the virus itself, continues to persist and push young people with HIV further into isolation.

Medical progress has made HIV manageable, a milestone we celebrate on World AIDS Day, but it has also created new layers of stigma for those who were born with it. "For people with perinatal HIV, U=U may feel less like freedom and more like judgment: If it's preventable, how did you get it? They didn't choose this condition, yet they often carry the heaviest blame. Changing the narrative is essential so they can live with dignity, without constant scrutiny or stigma," explained Dr Ranjith.

Disclosure, Dating, and the Fear of Rejection

The biggest challenge for young adults with HIV is navigating the minefield of relationships and dating. Loneliness haunts people with HIV/ AIDS more than their condition does. The decision of when and how to disclose their HIV status is fraught with anxiety, fear of rejection, and even the threat of legal repercussion.

The world tells you that HIV is preventable and treatable. When you have lived with it your entire life, how do you define yourself as a young person with a future, with dreams and desire for meaningful relationships, not just a patient with a past?

India's Stand on AIDS

Photo Credit: Freepik

The framework for India's national response is defined by the National HIV Strategic Plan (2021-2026) and the overarching commitment to achieving the global targets set forth by UN-AIDS. The strategic plan promotes a people-centred approach, grounded in human rights and health equity, to guide efforts in accelerating prevention and providing antiretroviral therapy and comprehensive long-term care.

India has a high level of status awareness; 90.4% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) know their status, but only 73.8% are on antiretroviral therapy (ART). This gap underscores the need for NACO to strengthen linkage, retention, and long-term care for the 1.606 million people currently receiving free lifelong treatment. Meanwhile, the adult HIV prevalence rate (15-49 years) has remained stable at a low 0.2% in 2023, reflecting decades of effective prevention efforts that have slowed the epidemic's spread.

Forging an Identity Beyond the Diagnosis

For these young survivors, World AIDS Day is not just a day for remembrance or policy updates; it is a demand for recognition. It is a call to acknowledge their unique place in the ongoing public health effort, one defined by resilience, quiet strength, and an urgent need for an identity beyond their medical charts. Their tomorrow is not just about adhering to medication; it is about building careers, finding love, pursuing dreams, and creating families.

Preventing AIDS

Prevention is still the cornerstone of HIV/ AIDS treatment.

Photo Credit: Freepik

• Promoting safe, protected sex through the use of condoms remains the fundamental strategy for prevention.
• Avoiding the sharing of needles in high-risk populations is a crucial individual-level intervention of public health programmes and services.
• Knowing one's status is a gateway to both prevention and treatment.
• Regular testing allows individuals who are negative to access prevention tools, and individuals who test positive to begin immediate treatment, which dramatically reduces the risk of onward transmission.

Bottomline

Dr Ranjith concluded, "The true purpose of World AIDS Day, in this new era, is to redefine normalcy. It is about ensuring that no young person feels compelled to choose between their essential need for connection and their right to privacy. Their struggle to build careers, find love, and pursue dreams just like anyone else is the most potent form of activism. They are showing us that living with HIV is not a consequence to be pitied, but a condition to be managed. Their future demands full, unequivocal acceptance by society."

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.