SHILLONG: Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) have been determined to be the main cause of HIV infections in the Northeast state of Meghalaya.
Over the past one year, IDUs have become the major cause of HIV in Meghalaya, overtaking sexual transmission, revealed data.
According to the Meghalaya AIDS Control Society (MACS), around 11 percent of total HIV infected people in the state are IDUs.
On the other hand, while HIV infections due to sexual transmission in Meghalaya have dropped to 10 percent.
Also read: Meghalaya: KSU to protest poor conditions of NH-6 by “sleeping” in middle of road
There are a total of around 3175 HIV infected IDUs in Meghalaya, who are registered with targeted intervention (TI) NGOs.
According to MACS, spread of HIV infection in urban areas of Meghalaya is mainly through IDUs.
Meanwhile, 60 percent of total HIV cases in Meghalaya, registered with MACS, are from East Jaintia Hills and West Jaintia Hills districts.