While the statistics reveal the district has the highest number of AIDS/HIV positive patients in the state, what is more worrying is the fact that the cases are believed to be increasing at an alarming rate.

The district is one amongst the 156 districts in the country which have been put in ‘A’ category, meaning high prevalence, out of overall 609 districts surveyed nationwide.

The latest statistics will come out in 2009 after the sentinel surveillance data, which is compiled every three years, but there is already a growing concern which focuses on the percolation of the virus into the general public.

Though experts say it is much more than 0.1 per cent of the general population who are at the risk of becoming HIV positive, but it is believed to be rising with the changing lifestyle patterns of the people.

Dr Jasbir Singh, incharge, Integrated Coordination and Testing Centre (ICTC) at city’s Civil Hospital, says the disease is mainly spreading through sexual contact as compared to other modes of transmission.

“Sexual transmission accounts for 85 per cent of the AIDS/HIV positive cases, while six per cent are Intravenous Drug Users. The men have multiple sexual partners and indulge in unsafe sex which is why many of them fall prey to the disease,” he said. “And unfortunately, the discrimination against the positive people is still very much prevalent.”

The rising trend in the district can be gauged from the figures of the past five years. In 2003, as many as 17 patients with AIDS were discovered by ICTC, while in 2004, the number was 24. In 2005, it was 41 and 2006 recorded 51 AIDS patients while in 2007 the number reached 141.

The experts blame the spread mostly on high risk groups - Commercial Sex Workers (CSW), Men Having Sex with Men (MSM) and Intravenous Drug Users (IDUs). The disease further spreads into the general population when men get in contact with members of such groups. Of the 6,473 people tested at local ICTC in last six years, 358 were found to be HIV positive. Of them, 231 were men and 34 women.

“These groups have strong networks in some congested areas of the city like Giaspura, Salem Tabri and Samrala Chowk. In the upper class, it is the lavish lifestyle and indulging in sexual contacts with multiple partners, which puts them at the risk,” said Dr SS Dhir, District Health Officer.

“One important factor I find in the state is masculine syndrome which exists very much in the society. That is the reason women are also falling prey to the disease,” reasons Dr Shalina Mehta, professor and an expert in social anthropology from department of anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

“Though in an industrial hub like Ludhiana, it can also be blamed to an extent on migration of people, men in Punjab have this tendency to treat women as property and think they can have relationships with multiple partners and pass on the disease to their wives too,” adds Dr Shalina, who is also researching social aspects of the disease.

“Another thing we have noticed is that many young girls from rural areas come to big cities where they become part of the flesh trade in order to earn easy money. They not only find it hard to get out but sometimes contract the virus,” she remarks.

Lack of awareness and inability to introduce Life Skills education (as sex education has been rechristened) at the secondary level of education and aggressive awareness campaigns are cited as the primary reasons of the rise.

On the other hand, the national awareness campaign in the form of Red Ribbon Express failed to generate any excitement in the district as only 4,406 visitors came to see the exhibition held in the train.