Fading fear of HIV puts focus on rising STI risks among youth in Keralam
Health officials in Kerala are reporting a rise in sexually transmitted infections among youth, attributed to a decreased fear of HIV and gaps in sexual health education. Data shows a significant increase in clinic attendance and screening rates for STIs in the region.
Why it matters
This highlights a critical public health challenge where the success of HIV management has inadvertently led to risky sexual behaviors and a surge in other preventable infections.
HIV is no longer the word that frightens young people. For a generation that has grown up seeing HIV transformed from a feared death sentence into a manageable chronic condition, the virus no longer carries the deterrent power it once did.
But the fading fear of HIV is confronting Keralam with a new public-health challenge. Changing sexual behaviour, gaps in information and awareness, and growing substance use are increasingly putting young people at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The numbers seeking care at the 23 District STI/RTI Centres (DSRCs) under the Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS) have been rising steadily. However, these figures do not capture the full picture, as Keralam does not have routine STI surveillance across public and private hospitals. STIs also rarely figure in formal public-health conversations.
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