What is the State of HIV Infection in India? is a key topic under Social Issues for UPSC Civil Services Examination. Key points include: India has approximately 2.4 million people living with HIV (PLHIV) as of 2021, with an adult prevalence rate of 0.22%.. The country is witnessing a downward trend in new HIV infections, indicating successful control efforts.. The epidemic is concentrated among high-risk populations like injecting drug users (5.33%) and female sex workers (1.13%).. Understanding this topic is essential for both UPSC Prelims and Mains preparation.
What is the State of HIV Infection in India? is a Medium-level topic in UPSC Social Issues. It is tested in both Prelims (factual MCQs) and Mains (analytical answer writing). Previous year UPSC questions have frequently covered aspects of What is the State of HIV Infection in India?, making it essential for comprehensive IAS preparation.
To prepare What is the State of HIV Infection in India? for UPSC: (1) Study the comprehensive notes covering all key concepts on Vaidra. (2) Practice previous year questions on this topic. (3) Connect it with current affairs using daily updates. (4) Revise using key takeaways and mind maps available for Social Issues. (5) Write practice answers linking What is the State of HIV Infection in India? to related GS Paper topics.

India continues to manage the challenge of HIV infection, with ongoing efforts to reduce its prevalence and impact. Understanding the current status is crucial for public health strategies.
The HIV epidemic in India is not uniformly distributed but is largely concentrated within specific high-risk populations and demographic groups.
Key demographic segments with higher prevalence rates include:
Certain age groups and genders also show distinct patterns in the overall HIV-positive population.
Geographically, the HIV epidemic shows significant variations across different states, with certain regions reporting higher adult prevalence rates.
The Northeast region States exhibit the highest adult HIV prevalence:
Following the Northeast, the Southern States also report notable prevalence rates, indicating a regional concentration of the epidemic.
Adult HIV prevalence in Southern States:
When considering the absolute number of People Living with HIV (PLHIV), the Southern States account for the largest share.
The total number of PLHIV is estimated at around 24 lakhs (2.4 million).
The top three states with the largest number of PLHIV are:


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