Children follow truckers on the HIV route

VIJAYAWADA, APRIL 8: After lorry drivers and cleaners, it is the turn of street children to fall victim to the dreaded HIV infection in th...

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VIJAYAWADA, APRIL 8: After lorry drivers and cleaners, it is the turn of street children to fall victim to the dreaded HIV infection in the coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh. Several teenagers are turning into gigolos risking their health for a few bucks, thanks to their ignorance and the absence of proper mechanism to check sexual abuse.

V Surya of Tenali is one such boy. He ran away from home five years ago when his parents insisted on his taking up farm work. Reaching the city, he joined the band of rag-pickers.

Learning about a home for street children through his seniors, he joined the institution. Ever since, his daily routine, like that of many other inmates, has been to collect and dispose off rags, clean railway compartments, serve food at wedding parties or similar functions during the day and return home for rest at night. Surya has been hired as a `sex worker’ on several occasions.

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Noted sexologist Dr G Samaram says so far he has tested 300 street children aged between 13 and 18. Nearly 200 of them are suffering from Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). "On suspicion, I screened blood samples of 30 youths for HIV. Of them, 6 were found to be positive," he disclosed.

According to Surya, he was wandering at a local railway station recently when two middle-aged women approached him. "They offered Rs 200 if I had sex with one of them. When I agreed to do so, they bought a ticket for me too and the three of us boarded a train. Standing guard for us, one of themsent me and her companion into a vacant ladies coupe. After I satisfied her, they dropped me at a station from where I took another train to reach the city," he narrated.

Next time, he was hired by two young women. Aged about 20 and inmates of a hostel, the women approached Surya at the local bus station. "They took me to a lodge near Besant Road. Though they were not good looking, I agreed to satisfy their lust as they promised to pay Rs 300, which was quite a big amount for me. I spent the whole night with them, took the money and pushed off after daybreak," he added.

Same is the case with Ramana and Srinu, who are in their late teens. Kareem Hotel Centre, Diamond Hotel Centre and Eluru Locks, the bus station and the railway station serve as centres of such activity for many a youth.

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Lately, a healthy Ramana has begun losing weight after his ‘affairs’ with some college girls. "Frequently, I get cough and muscular pains. Sometimes, it is difficult even to get up from bed."

Samaram points out that the situation is grave. "Besides lorry drivers and cleaners, street children are becoming the most vulnerable to HIV infection. The government should immediately step in to check sexual abuse of street children," the doctor pleaded.