Introduction
Over the years, syphilis has always been a deadly ailment, killing numerous people due to poor intervention measures. India is among the many countries experiencing tremendous problems with this ruthless disease. The country has experienced an escalating trend of the disease especially in the period between 2002 and 2004. This noted increasing trend continues in current times thereby putting the Indian population at risk. The rapid spread of this disease is owed to a number of factors such as the incredible increase in population, cultural factors, and poor intervention measures among others (Kohn, 2008). However, according to statistical records, the number of the infected varies from one location to another, although at an average difference of 1% to 2%. The source also points out the most prone age group is people between 5-18 years. This document, therefore, is going to explore and analyze the impact of syphilis within the age group 5-18 years, in India.
Literature review
Several studies have been conducted to discover and assess various aspects of syphilis within India. These studies have been extremely comprehensive thus uncovering some of the crucial aspects of syphilis in India. They indicate an escalating trend of the disease after the year 2004. Sources indicate that this trend has always been increasing until recent years. Moreover, these sources further single out the age group 5-18 as the most prone to this deadly disease, following the nature of their vulnerability. Individuals under this age group are often at the adolescent stage. They are often sexually active thus engage in risky sexual activities, which make them vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases such as Syphilis. Most of these adolescents tend to engage in sexual activities without thinking of the long-term consequences of their actions.
In addition to risky sexual activities, other factors also contribute to making this age group more prone to syphilis infection. For instance, most adolescents in India often fail to resist peer pressure hence may end up engaging in risky activities such as drug abuse, alcoholism and other risky sexual activities. This puts them in a vulnerable situation of being infected by the deadly disease.
Aside from peer pressure, this age group is also often vulnerable to sexual abuse such as sex trafficking and child prostitution. Most sex traffickers often target young people preferably within the age of 5-18, since they have a promising future for their business (Kristof, 2007). Additionally, most commercial sex businesspersons often target this age group due to their incredible sexual potential. This, therefore, makes the age group extremely vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases, which include deadly syphilis. Moreover, it is currently approximated that over one million children (adolescents) engage in child prostitution in India. Sources also indicate 3,500 young victims of sex trafficking, the majority being below the age of 15.
Impacts of syphilis in India
After its discovery hundreds of years back, Syphilis found its way to India, in 1504 (Hendrick, 2011). Carried by sailors from Europe, the disease further spread to other non-European countries via sexual encounters (INDG India, 2011). Since then, the spread of the disease has always been on an increasing trend. However, after 1995, in India, there was a significant decline in the spread of the disease with only a few people being infected.
Since the disease found its way to India, many people have seriously been affected. The disease has significantly affected the normal lives of many individuals as well as the Indian economy. Due to the ruthless nature of the disease, many Indians have lost their relatives, friends, and families. The disease has left many Indians as orphans and others as widows. Such affected persons often feel the effects of the disease throughout their lifetime, since they often face difficulties in their daily activities. Orphan, for instance, often have problems in finding solutions to their daily needs, especially when left at a tender age. On the other hand, widows are often left with a massive burden to raise their families singlehandedly. Most of the widows often have to spend a better part of their lives making massive sacrifices just to ensure that their family lives happily.
Another impact on human daily lives is that promiscuity was reduced among young men and women. This is because they became afraid of being infected by the deadly disease. Therefore, most Indians decided to keep away from practices or activities that could lead to infections. Most of them avoided promiscuity and other immoral sexual behaviors.
Additionally, the disease has also significantly affected the economy of India in various capacities. Since most of the persons affected by this disease are young men and women, India has lost a significant energetic workforce needed for the country’s productivity. This has slowed the country’s growth and prosperity thus a negative turn, in the general economy. Additionally, left orphans and widows experience harsh living conditions due to the tremendously reduced living standards.
In addition to decreased productivity, the Indian government wasted a significant amount of cash trying to find a solution for curbing the disease. The Indian government spent a significant amount of cash in researching the best cure for the disease. It also wasted huge chunks on strategizing the various approaches to mitigate the effects of the disease. All these activities slowed down the economic progress of India since the resources needed for economic growth were diverted into finding intervention measures.
Intervention measures
The Indian government has taken several intervention measures against the spread of syphilis. For instance, the government has introduced various programs such as the education of sexually transmitted diseases (STI) in schools in a bid to curb the disease. This program helps in providing the adolescent with adequate information about STIs. Eventually, they will be able to understand how to prevent themselves from the disease.
In addition to STI education in schools, the Indian government also developed another program (The National Adolescents Educational Program), AEP, to help curb the disease (NACO, 2007). This program concentrates on implementing various prevention measures among the young population.
Despite these tremendous efforts, the fight against syphilis faces significant challenges. These challenges slow down the progress of mitigating the effects and spread of this deadly disease. Most students, for instance, missed the classes organized within the education program. This is a massive setback to the intervention measure since most of the students will never gain from the strategy. AEP, on the other hand, was criticized for failing to be culturally sensitive. However, despite these challenges, these programs have also helped in curbing the disease in various capacities.
Other challenges include cultural barriers whereby discussing sex topics is forbidden. This discourages the process of intervening in the disease. Moreover, Indians consider the maintenance of silence when facing problems as a virtue among women. Moreover, the Indian culture discourages the free movement of women, which limits their access to information (Jayaram, 2009). Such cultural barriers often limit the fight against syphilis.
Critical analysis of the challenges
Due to globalization and other contributing factors, many Indians are shying away from their cultural practices, which pose some significance to the future of syphilis. The effects of this trend pose both positive and negative effects. Among the positive effects, including the increase in promiscuity. Other cultures (western) will influence the Indians to engage in activities not supported in their culture. Eventually, this would lead to the increased spread of the disease. On the other hand, abandoning their culture would also mean the freedom of women. Thus, women would mean easily access the needed information about Syphilis. This, in turn, would reduce the spread of the disease, since most women will have the capacity to avoid practices that contribute to the spread of the disease.
Conclusion
Over years, syphilis has proven to be a serious disease, causing deaths and serious effects on families and the economy. This does not exclude India, since it also experienced the effects of this deadly disease. According to studies, the age group under threat is adolescents, an age group between 5-18 years. This is due to various factors, which include their sexual activeness and their vulnerability to sex abuses such as child prostitution and sex trafficking.
India has experienced both positive and negative effects of the disease. However, the negative has always dominated the positive ones. This has prompted the government to employ various intervention measures in a bid to intervene in the spread of the disease. However, these strategies face several setbacks thus making them inadequate. Therefore, one can project the future of the disease judging from the current situation.
References
Hendrick, R. (2011). Historic dispute: did syphilis originate in the new world, from which it was brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus and his crew? Science clarified. Web.
INDG India. (2011). Health: how do people get syphilis. IDNG India. Web.
Jayaram, V. (2009). The problem and status of women in Hindu society. Hindu Website. Web.
Kohn, G. (2008). Encyclopedia of plague and pestilence: from ancient times to the Present. New York, NY: InfoBase publishing.
Kristof, N. (2007). Sex trafficking in India. New York Times. Web.
NACO. (2007). Adolescents Education Program. Ministry of health and family welfare government of India. Web.