Cutbacks and condom shortage hampers India’s AIDS fight

Indian sex worker Shaalu is using fewer condoms when she meets her clients in New Delhi - not out of choice, but because a funding crunch and procurement delays in the state-run HIV/AIDS program have disrupted supplies of free condoms. “I am more scared of HIV now,” said Shaalu, 32, who often resorts to unsafe sex as free condoms are scarce and she is hard pressed for funds to repay a debt of $4,500. India provides free condoms under its community-based AIDS prevention program that targets high-risk groups like sex workers.

Not having the only barrier method at the doors of those who need it is catastrophic.

Mona Mishra, who runs a national AIDS Momentum campaign

But government data released last week showed about two-thirds of India’s 31 state AIDS units had less than a month’s supply of condoms. Some states only have enough for a few days. Bollywood superstar Sunny Leone sparked a wave of awareness - and some protests - by starring in a condom advert a few months ago. Condoms in the open market are cheap, but female sex workers often hesitate to buy them from a medical store due to social taboos. Mostly from poor families, these women were under pressure to have unsafe sex if clients didn’t carry their own condoms, said Kusum, head of the All India Network of Sex Workers that represents 200,000 women.

The government should at least give us condoms so that we can earn money.

Sex worker Shaalu, who only gave her working name

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