This evening I was at a function marking the end of the first phase of the Prachar projects three year reproductive health initiative in three districts of Bihar. The results, in terms of contraceptive use and raising marriage age, as well as spacing are encouraging.

At the same function I met a rather enthusiastic man from Aurangabad, who is working on livelihood issues... and was appalled when he took me aside and told me : I think that the AIDs epidemic is the gift of God to the world... all the immoral people will be wiped out!

I was aghast. i told him that i would take issue with him, and pointed out that the vast majority of hIV psoitive people in bihar will soon be women... the faithful ones... set him thinking and he promised to get in touch for more information.

Can you imagine what harm half-baked and sketchy information on HIV and AIDS is wrecking on a state like Bihar with almost no access for the vast rural majority to health institutions?

On the other hand, here is a picture of some young men who are excellent peer educators on adolescent HIV/AIDs issues, trained by a grasssroots organisation , a non-NGO called ACT India {aasra charitable trust}.