Articles
AIDS "OR" HUM
August 2000
Akshay Khanna comments on the meaning and implications of the Sahayog case
Background
Sahayog is an NGO that has, for the last eight to nine years, been working on development issues including women's empowerment, Panchayati Raj and health in and around the hill town of Almora in the Uttarakhand region of Uttar Pradesh. In September last year it published a survey report focussing on sexual practices and behaviour that could make the population vulnerable to HIV/AIDS in the region.Read more
The Criminally Legal Trade
July 2000
The ‘Criminally’ Legal Trade
Despite the fact that Commercial Sex Workers belong to the `oldest profession', they remain one of the most legally victimized sections of Indian society, says Nidhi Dubey.
Prostitution is regarded as the oldest profession in the world. However, the general perception of the trade has changed over the years. The changing socio-economic conditions, stigma, victimisation and of late, prostitutes being vectors in spreading HIV, has labelled them as a distinct sexually promiscuous, `immoral' community. Prostitutes are not seen as women being raped, threatened, coerced and sold into the sex trade.Read more
Anti-sodomy Laws : Their Impact on HIV/AIDS Intervenion
May 2000
Aditya Bondyopadhyay traces the origin of anti-sodomy laws and discusses their relevance in the Indian context.
Anti-sodomy laws are wedded to the question of human rights and the dignity of those men who indulge in private, consensual, adult homosexual relationships. Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) criminalises sodomy, both heterosexual and homosexual. Judicial pronouncements, not overturned till date, extend the scope of this section to cover fellatio as well.Read more
Partner Notification : New Medical Responsibilities
April 2000
Sushma Agrawal examines a pertinent case, emphasising medical responsibility for both an HIV positive patient and his/her partner, in order to help prevent the HIV/AIDS virus from spreading
In recent years, the concept of medical negligence has come to play a significant role in both the medical and legal fields. The concept of `care' gained momentum, steadily evolving into jurisprudentially informed notions of `due care', `standard of care', `reasonable care' etc.Read more