Bihar residents are beginning to take to the idea of "safe sex". A fear of sexually transmitted diseases/AIDS, which has now gripped the state, perhaps, forced the masses to become more aware about their safety and turn to condoms, which were erstwhile considered a taboo among the uneducated populace of the state.According to an official report, nearly 1.10 crore (10.1 million) condoms were used by Biharis in the last fiscal year 2007-2008, leaving many states behind on this account.
Officials in the Bihar State AIDS Control Society (BSACS) said the intensive awareness campaigns launched against AIDS had apparently driven the people to practice safer sex. They said the adult population might have been the main consumers of the condoms although they had no authentic records about the age-group-wise consumption of the contraceptives. Incidentally, AIDS cases have been relatively low in Patna as compared to other districts. In the last financial year, (2006-2007), Bihar had used 86 lakh condoms while in 2005-06, the number was only 5.25 lakh, not very encouraging.
Officials said the free distribution of contraceptives by the government had also encouraged people to practice safer sex and keep deadly diseases at bay. However, the state government is still to take a decision on distribution of female condoms that, officials said, are very expensive. A pair of them costs around Rs 250 against the average male version available for as low as Rs 5 only.
According to a National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco) estimate, Bihar has 70,000 HIV positive cases. However, a Bihar State AIDS Control Society report confirms only 16,054 people, including 6,035 women and 789 children, having tested HIV positive till date since the campaign was launched in the state in 1992.In the past 12 months itself, 1,468 fresh cases have been detected in Bihar, registering an increase of about 34 per cent from those reported last year.