KSAPS issues clarification, refutes reports of 7,000 HIV-positive college students

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 1 (ANI): The Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) has dismissed reports circulating in sections of the media and on social media claiming that 7,000 college students in the State had tested HIV positive, terming the information "false" and misleading.
In a clarification, KSAPS said the figure had been wrongly interpreted from data relating to people receiving Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) and did not indicate HIV infections among college students.
KSAPS said the Mobilisation for AIDS Suraksha (MAS) programme has been launched to curb the spread of HIV infection in Karnataka and create awareness among college students through an eight-month Red Ribbon Awareness Campaign.
According to KSAPS, an estimated 56,000 people in Karnataka living with HIV remain unidentified, as per estimates of the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO). To improve early detection, people are being encouraged to scan the breakfreeindia.org HIV Self Risk Assessment QR code to assess their risk and undergo HIV testing, if required.
KSAPS said several departments, including the Home Department, Department of Collegiate Education, Department of Technical Education, Department of Panchayat Raj, Department of Transport, Department of Social Welfare, Department of Industries and Commerce and others, have been instructed to conduct awareness campaigns and organise Integrated Health Camps in coordination with District AIDS Prevention and Control Officers (DAPCOs).
Clarifying the source of the confusion, KSAPS said that 39,028 people in the 18-35 age group have been receiving Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) since 2004, but this figure was incorrectly interpreted by some media outlets as indicating that 7,000 college students had tested HIV positive.
KSAPS further said that between April and June 2026, 5,53,453 general clients underwent HIV testing, of whom 3,091 tested HIV positive.
During the same period, 2,81,742 pregnant women were tested for HIV, with 111 found to be HIV positive.
Overall, 3,202 HIV-positive cases were detected in Karnataka between April and June 2026, KSAPS said.
"Various media and social media platforms telecast that 7,000 HIV-positive cases have been detected among college students, which is false information. Hence, this clarification is being issued," KSAPS said.
The society also reiterated that under the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017, HIV testing cannot be made mandatory. It said the QR code-based self-risk assessment is intended to help individuals understand their HIV risk and locate the nearest Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) for confirmatory testing.
KSAPS added that awareness campaigns targeting high-risk groups are being conducted through advertisements on dating applications and other media platforms. It also said a national conference on HIV/AIDS awareness will be organised in Bengaluru to strengthen public awareness.
KSAPS urged the media and the public not to circulate incorrect information, stating that such reports are likely to create misinformation and unnecessary panic among the public. (ANI)