Tattooing and HIV: Study in AP

By U Sudhakar Reddy
Tattooing in men has been identified as one of the risky behaviours associated with the spread of HIV.
A study conducted in the state by the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences in association with the George Institute of International Health Studies (GIIHS) found that tattooing and male non-circumcision are risky behaviours among HIV infected males, apart from homosexuality, multiple sex partners and blood transfusion.
Commenting on the findings, the AP State Aids Control Society director, Mr R.V. Chandravadan, said, “using the same needles (for tattooing) is risky. We are not sure if HIV is spread by tattooing and we cannot rule out the possibility of infection. Sterilised needles have to be used for tattooing.” Regarding non-circumcision, he said, studies showed that circumcision can reduce the spread of HIV infection. “However the attendant conse quences associated with circumcision have to be studied,” he said. “It has a socio-religious implication.” The study, titled ’Risk factors associated with HIV in a population-based study in Andhra Pradesh’ was headed by Lalit and Rakhi Dandona of George Institute of International Health. The study found that among men, there was significant association between HIV and history of sex with other men, sex workers or multiple women partners, consuming alcohol before sex, recreational drug use, male non-circumcision and tattooing.
“The highest impact of reducing the HIV number per unit population was for male circumcision in Guntur,” said the study.
Among women, the study said, “the only identified behavioural factor associated with HIV was multiple male sex partners.” The researchers interviewed a population-based sample of 12,617 persons aged 15 to 49 years from 66 rural and urban clusters in Guntur district.
(Photo courtesy: howstuff works)