Socio-Economic Impact of HIV and AIDS in Tamil nadu

The percentage of PLWHA reporting
hospitalisation during the period since
testing positive was almost the same as
that during the one year period before
the survey. However, a higher percentage
of men (66%) reported hospitalisation
compared to women (38%) during both
these periods. The percentage of PLWHA
hospitalised as well as the average number
of times they were hospitalised increased
with advanced stage of infection; however,
no instance of frequent or continuous
hospitalisation was reported. During
the last one year reference period; fever,
loose motion/diarrhoea and tuberculosis
were the common health problems for
which PLWHA were hospitalised. While
nearly 60 percent sought treatment from
government hospitals, about 25 percent
went to private health facilities and the
rest fell back on NGOs and charitable
trusts.
T h e a v e r a g e e x p e n d i t u r e p e r
hospitalisation was the highest for
treatment from private institutions
(Rs. 4,119 per hospitalisation case)
and lowest for treatment from NGOs/
charitable trusts (Rs. 363 per case).
Overall, the average expenditure per
hospitalisation worked out to Rs. 1,616.
The expenditure was lesser in the case of
women as compared to men in spite of the
source of treatment. In 69 percent of the
hospitalisation cases, the households had
to resort to borrowings and liquidation
of assets to meet the hospitalisation
expenses.
Stigma and discrimination
A high percentage of men (64%) discovered
their HIV status after prolonged illness
while 64 percent of the sample women
discovered it after voluntary testing.
Those women who went in for voluntary
testing did so after discovering the HIV
status of their husbands. The main mode
of infection was reported as heterosexual
contact.
Although a high percentage of the
PLWHA revealed their positive status
(69% of men and 88% of women) to
their spouses immediately, nearly 3.5
percent of men and 5 percent women
have not revealed it. Nearly 70 percent of
men and 56 percent of women have not
disclosed their status in the community,
probably fearing discrimination. Around
20 percent of the households changed
their residence after one of their family
members was reported positive. The
prominent reasons reported for this
were inability to afford the earlier place
of residence, search of employment,
reasons of anonymity, being asked to
vacate because of the HIV status and for
seeking medical treatment.
Though in most of the cases (66% of
men and 58% of women) the families
are presently supportive of the PLWHA,
the Focus Group Discussions reveal
incidences of discrimination in the
family, especially in the case of women.
Many of the widows were living with
their parents after being thrown out of
their in-laws’ house. Although a high
percentage had not disclosed their
status in the community, some of the
PLWHA had reported discrimination by
the community. Reports of neglect and
isolation, verbal abuse, social boycott and
their children not being allowed to play
with others were found.
77 percent of the currently employed
PLWHA have not disclosed their status
to their employer, mostly out of fear of
losing their jobs.
Only 17 percent of men and 11 percent
of women who had sought treatment
in a health facility after testing HIVpositive
had reported experiencing
77 percent of
the currently
employed PLWHA
have not disclosed
their status to
their employer,
mostly out of fear
of losing their jobs
Executive Summary
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