THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA OF HIV IN INDIA

United Nations' agencies are reporting that India will become the worl d center for AIDS and HIV-related illnesses by the end of the century (Pais, 1996). It is predicted that in the year 2000, India will have t he highest rate of infected individuals and new infections (Panday et al., 1997). This information is daunting. AIDS and HIV-related illness es have proven to be challenging for all nations that have had to face both the widespread epidemic and, frequently, highly infected epicent ers or populations at high risk. The epidemic has seriously taxed the health systems in technologically advanced countries such as the USA. A cursory examination of this impending problem in India might lead to the obvious conclusion that it is going to be devastating. One also m ight speculate that there would be very little that could be done, and finally conclude that thc die are cast, so that acceptance and managi ng the consequences are all that is left to India at this point in tim e. This paper explores trauma, HIV and India, and in this context addr esses the impact of a traumatizing event, the HIV epidemic, on a natio n and its children.