MARRIAGE BUREAU FOR HIV POSITIVE
This is a marriage counseling bureau of a different kind – it is for persons who are HIV
positive.
T. S. Raghuraman is HIV positive and president of the Pondicherry Network of Positive
People Welfare Society.
He finds suitable partners for HIV positive persons and has already arranged seven
such marriages. Encouraged by the success of such marriages, 10 more HIV positive
persons are waiting for a suitable partner. They will not have to wait long. Soon, suitable
partners will be found. Three women, below the age of 35 and HIV positive are also in
the line.
Every month 25 cases of men and women approach the society for counseling and to
find perfect matches. This network was formed four years ago with a prime objecting of
uniting HIV positive men and women so that they lead an independent life.
To set an example, Rghuraman married an HIV positive woman and the couple has two
sons who are HIV negative. This helped him to dispel the popular myth that children of
HIV positive couples would also test positive. “My sons are HIV negative because my
wife regularly took the anti-AIDS drugs to ensure that the virus was not transmitted to
the babies. Our children are healthy and normal like others”, he said.
Since then, he became a strong advocate for marriages among the HIV positive
persons. However problems arise while arranging such marriages. It is very difficult to
convince widows, who contracted the disease from their husbands. It requires a great
deal of patience and counseling to overcome their traumatic experience.
He said his society has more than 12 HIV positive unmarried young men, waiting for
suitable brides.
-DR. NAVRAJ SINGH SANDHU, PAHS1, www.navraj@gmail.com