Indian Law Criminalizing Homosexuality Remains ‘Major Obstacle’ in Fight Against HIV/AIDS, Piot Says
UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot on Sunday said that an Indian law criminalizing sex between men is a "major obstacle" to the country's efforts to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, News Track India reports. Piot called the law a "violation of human rights" and said that it should have been abolished a long time ago. The law is being deliberated during hearings on a petition to decriminalize homosexuality.The United Nations last week called on India to decriminalize homosexuality, effectively overturning the law that has been in place since British colonial rule and carries either a lifetime prison sentence, 10-year prison sentence or a fine. The law poses obstacles to providing HIV/AIDS services in India because of a taboo against men who have sex with men and a fear of speaking out about sexual preferences. Piot said, "For India now, the focus area is the MSM population. This is a problem, which is common to other Asian countries also. It has become quite an epidemic among this group -- just as it was in the Western countries in the 1980s."
He added that the law could "pose a problem for public health preparedness" by hurting the efforts of HIV/AIDS workers and advocates. Piot also recognized the work of India's Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, who has called for the law to be overturned (News Track India, 11/17). This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
