Socio-Economic Impact of HIV and AIDS in Tamil nadu

which mostly cater to poor/low-income
households. An attempt was made to
select PLWHA from both sexes at different
stages of the infection. In households
with more than one HIV-positive person,
a maximum of two adult PLWHA, mostly
husband and wife, were interviewed.
For every HIV household that was
surveyed in a village/urban block,
approximately three non-HIV households
belonging to similar economic strata
were interviewed. The survey of non-HIV
households commenced immediately
after completion of the survey of PLWHA.
The households were matched first on
the basis of broad income category of
the HIV households. At the second stage,
the occupational group of the head of
the household was matched from within
each income category.
Two sets of structured questionnaires
were used for the household survey
– one for HIV and another for non-HIVhouseholds.
These two questionnaires
had some common sections as well as
special sections. In order to supplement
the findings of the quantitative survey,
qualitative techniques like case studies
and focus group discussions were also
used. Two case studies were conducted
in Tamil Nadu, and the Focus Group
Discussion was conducted with the
members of the Cambam Network of
Positive People in the Theni district of
the state.
Profile of the sample
It was found that nearly 79 percent
of both HIV and non-HIV household
heads were in the age group of 20-50
years. Though the level of education
of the household heads was poor, it
seemed comparatively better in non-
HIV households, with the percentage
of illiterates in HIV households being
twice that of the percentage in non-HIV
households. The average annual income
of non-HIV households (Rs. 48,878) was
higher than that of the HIV households
(Rs. 39,298) selected, though efforts were
made to capture economically similar
placed households. Nearly 40 percent
of the rural HIV households selected
had an annual income of less than Rs.
20,000. The average income of the urban
households was found to higher than
that of the rural in both categories of
households. The availability of basic
amenities, ownership of house/flats and
consumer durables in the households
indicated a low economic status of the
sample households.
Most of the PLWHA were in the age group
of 20-40 years, with nearly 60 percent of
the women between 20-30 years and 56
percent of the men between 31-40 years.
Nearly 76 percent of the men and 48
percent of the women were married at
the time of the survey. Percentage of men
separated/divorced/abandoned was 3.7,
while for women it was 6.7. Three percent
of the men were widowers and 38 percent
of the women, widows. The sample
PLWHA was poorly educated. Nearly 30
percent men and 28 percent women were
wage earners while 15 percent men and
17 percent women were salary earners.
About 19 percent were engaged in the
transport sector, which is considered
one of the high HIV-risk occupational
sectors. While about 17 percent men were
unemployed, 33 percent of the women
were not found to be engaged in any
income earning activity.
Impact on employment and
income
Analysis of the average annual household
income based on occupations shows
the agricultural wage earners with the
least and the salaried with the highest
Nearly 40 percent
of the rural HIV
households
selected had an
annual income of
less than
Rs. 20,000
Executive Summary
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