Imphal, November 22 2010: Even though people living with HIV & AIDS under certain circumstances are stigma tired and discriminated in a society, there are people in Manipuri who defy all odds just to line happily after getting married to a person with HIV positive and the opposite spouse and their children still remaining negative.

Babu (Not his real name), a resident of Imphal East district married the woman he loved who was not only a widow with a daughter but was also an HIV+ also an HIV+.

Both of them at present live happily with one more daughters of their own.

But the interesting fact is that even though the mother is HIV+, both father and daughters are absolutely normal and HIV/AIDS hasn't still touched them.

It all started in the year 2004 under Babu met his wife Sandhyarani (not her real name).

He worked as an office assistant in MNP+.

Sandhyarani, who joined MNP+ at its Sugnu Branch after the death of her first husband of AIDS, leaving behind a daughter who was fortunately negative.

Owing to their official work, Babu and Sandhyarani used to meet often at MNP+ head office.

Gradually their relationship grew and finally they decided to get married.

"Even though I was fully aware that Sandhyarani was not only a widow with a 9 year-old daughter, but was also an HIV+, I loved her so much that I decided to face any kind of obstacle that came in our way," said Babu, who is not HIV+ .

In spite of Sandhayarani's status, Babu finally decided to tie the nuptial knots with her.

In order to lead a normal married life, they started consulting doctors and experts in the field of HIV&AIDS.

With their advice and their own experience working in this field, they got married in 2006.Sandhyarani's first daughter is also living together with them at present, said Babu.

After their marriage, they hardly faced any sign of stigma and discrimination from the family as well as the local people.

This was basically the outcome of the continuous efforts of the government ad the NGOs working in the field of HIV &AIDS to eliminate stigma and discrimination.

The couple credited the NGOs, concerned authority of the state government and others working in the field of HIV & AIDS saying that the non-stop awareness programmes on the disease has brought them back into the society.

"Working in the field of HIV & AIDS we were fully aware of the do's and don'ts in a relationship and that is why HIV & AIDS hasn't got hold of us till today," said Sandhyarani smiling.

Keeping herself healthy with her CD-4 count at a high level and her viral load at the lowest rate possible, she succeeded in reducing the rate of transmission to her husband and to-be-born child.

The couple was gifted with a daughter on 14 November, 2009.With all the precautionary measures they had taken, both father and daughter have not acquired the dreaded virus even after one year after the child was born both daughter and father are HIV (-) .

"My husband and daughter are still negative to the dreaded virus.

We've clearly shown the world that HIV+ women can have a husband and child who are free from the virus," said Sandhyarani proudly.

Dr Priyokumar, ART Nodal Officer at JN Hospital said that in cases where the father is HIV+ and the mother is negative, the chances of transmitting the virus to the child is very law.

But in cases otherwise the chances is 30-40%.So the positive parent should try and keep the CD-4 count at a high level and the viral load at the lowest level possible.

And normal delivery should be avoided at all cost because the rate of transmission from mother to child during childbirth in a normal delivery is 30-40% .

So a surgery is always advisable.

Today Babu and Sandhyarani along with their two daughters are living happily.

On being asked whether they plan to have another child in future, Sandhyarani replied- "if at all a vaccine comes up to cure HIV+ patients, then the thought of a son remains a desire" .

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