HIV infections among Kerala youth increasing at an alarming rate, says Veena George

The youth should maintain extreme caution against the danger of HIV and maintain a healthy lifestyle as the latest information gathered by the Kerala AIDS Control Society shows that new cases of HIV in Kerala are increasing at an alarming rate amongst the youth, Health Minister Veena George said on Monday.

Inaugurating the National Youth Day here, Ms. George said that as per the available figures, new cases of HIV among those in the 15-24 year age group, which was 9% in 2022, had risen to 14.2% in 2024. This figure was 15.4% between April and October in 2025. She said that HIV awareness and prevention activities in the State needed to be focussed amongst the youth.

Kerala is a relatively low prevalence State as far as HIV infection is concerned. The national adult prevalence of HIV is 0.20, whereas this was 0.07 in Kerala. However, given the high rate of inter-State migration into Kerala and with a lot of youth from the State going abroad or to neighbouring States and back for work or higher studies, the State is vulnerable to increased transmission of the virus.

In 2022-23 (financial year), new HIV cases were reported amongst 1,183 individuals in Kerala. In 2023-24, this was 1,263 and in 2024-25, this was 1,213. In 2025, from April-October, 819 persons had been reported to have contracted new infections.

Of the total of 4,477 new cases of HIV reported in the State in the last three years, 3,393 were men, 1,065 were women, and 19 were transgender individuals. The number of pregnant women who contracted the infection in the State in the last three years was 90.

HIV can be transmitted through unsafe or unprotected sexual relations, through sharing of needles, by receiving unsafe blood transfusions and antenatally, from mother to child.

The State has been adopting the strategy of testing the maximum number of people who have been through high-risk behaviour or circumstances which made them vulnerable to contracting HIV and give them appropriate treatment as early as possible.

Early and consistent antiretroviral therapy (ART) can reduce the viral load to an undetectable level,  so that there is effectively zero risk of sexual transmission of the virus from the infected individual to his/her partner. Early diagnosis and treatment thus makes the infection untransmittable and allows the infected individual to lead a healthy life. KSACS has been systematically addressing HIV prevention, control, treatment and the care of the HIV-affected, Ms. George added.

She advised the youth to be the ambassadors of healthy living, through healthy habits. The State has now taken up a wellness mission, encouraging people to eat healthy, exercise moderately, practice self-care and get proper sleep, she added.

The Additional Chief Secretary (Health), Rajan Khobraghade, presided over the function.