World AIDS Day 2025: Drug Abuse Suspected as Major Cause for Rising HIV Cases Among Kerala Youth
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A report by the State AIDS Control Society (SACS) indicates a concerning increase in HIV infections among youth aged 15 to 24 in Kerala. The percentage of youth among total infected individuals in Kerala rose from nine percent in 2022 to 12 percent in 2023, and further to 14.2 percent in 2024. From April to October 2025, this age group accounted for 15.4 percent of new infections. SACS has issued a strong warning regarding the reckless lifestyle of young people. Unprotected sexual intercourse and the sharing of syringes for drug injection are identified as primary causes for the spread of HIV among youth. A significant number of individuals have also contracted the infection due to a single instance of unprotected sexual contact.
The Society also highlights the significant challenge in ensuring follow-up treatment for HIV-positive migrant workers due to a lack of proper addresses or phone numbers, making partner testing and treatment impractical. Currently, there are 23,608 HIV-infected individuals in the state, while the national figure stands at 2.5 million. In 2024 alone, 6,300 new cases were identified nationwide, with 1,213 in Kerala. On average, Kerala detects around 100 new infections per month. From April to October this year, 818 new infections were recorded.
According to data from April 2022 to 2025, among 4,477 infected individuals, 62.5 percent had unprotected sexual contact with multiple partners. 24.6 percent contracted the infection through homosexual contact, and 8.1 percent through drug use. Mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy accounted for 0.9 percent of infected infants. The mode of infection remains unknown for 3.7 percent of cases.
Over the last three years, among those infected, 3,393 were men, 1,065 were women, and 19 were transgender individuals. Ninety of these women were pregnant. Dr. Piyush M. Namboothirippad, Project Director, stated that the State AIDS Control Society has launched a campaign to prevent the transmission of HIV and Syphilis. He further emphasized that pregnant women should undergo HIV and Syphilis testing within the first three months of pregnancy.
Meanwhile, World AIDS Day is observed every year on December 1st to raise proper awareness about AIDS and facilitate improved care. This year’s theme for World AIDS Day is ‘Overcome Obstacles, Transform the AIDS Response.’ The World Health Organization’s goal is to eradicate AIDS from the world by 2030.