3 HIV+ sisters commit suicide in Gujarat

According to official sources, 16 year-old Krishna Gohil along with her sisters Daksha (10) and Rekha(12) committed suicide by consuming a pesticide at around 11 pm on Friday night at their home in Khadaliya village of Vartej taluka in Bhavnagar district.

While two of the sisters died on the spot, the eldest breathed her last in a hospital on Saturday.

J F Zala, PSI of Vartej police station in Bhavnagar and investigating officer in the case, said, "We rushed to the spot after 108 emergency services informed us that three sisters had committed suicide. The two had died on the spot while the third died at the government hospital in Bhavnagar where they were taken for treatment.”

Diseased and frustrated
In what can be termed as a dismal state of affairs, all the members of the girls’ family were infected by the AIDS virus. The sisters lost both mother and brother to HIV in 2006, and were saddled with a father who is battling the deadly disease and in a critical condition.

Diseased and broken, the girls took the extreme step because they were frustrated and pictured a bleak future in store for them.

"The sisters were worried about their future as their father was also ill. We also came to know that the mother of the deceased acquired HIV from the blood given to her during delivery years ago," Zala said.

Forced to life of shame and isolation
Reportedly, the social boycott faced by the family provoked for the drastic act. The sisters were forced to a life of shame and isolation with villagers maintaining a distance from them.

People would avoid sitting next to them at marriages and social gatherings and the sisters were shunned even at the temple.

However, official authorities refute these claims. Zala stated, “It is false that the villagers had boycotted them because even when the girls were taken to hospital the villagers had accompanied them and at their funeral too villagers were present. We’ve lodged a complaint of accidental death and are investigating.”

Stigma and discrimination attached to HIV/AIDS
Though it has been more than two decades since AIDS was first detected in the nation and crores spent on awareness campaigns, the stigma and discrimination related to the disease still runs deep in the society.

Stigma is the main reason that AIDS has become a silent killer because people are scared of social disgrace and do not have the courage to speak out.

Most people react with fear and prejudice, and refuse any contact with an HIV-positive person.

The victims face abuse and maltreatment, are shunned by family and peers. All this can negatively affect the success of testing and treatment of the disease.
Most afflicted with the disease face problems getting a job, get unfair treatment in the workplace, and experience discrimination in the healthcare setting.

In addition, there are instances of negative vibes even in the family environment.