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India, one of the most populous nations on this planet has a health minister that thinks homosexuality is a disease thats infected India from outside its borders.

According to Azad, "this disease has come to India from foreign shores", and Indian society needs to be prepared to face it. Unfortunately, he said, the number of "such people" is increasing by the day.

In statements made while addressing zilla parishad chairpersons and mayors on HIV/AIDS on Monday, Azad said, "The disease of MSM is unnatural and not good for Indian society. It's a challenge to identify such people. In case of female sex workers, we can identify the community and reach out to them since they live in clusters. But in case of MSMs, it isn't always possible."

These comments have not only caused uproar among civil society, but also in the National Aids Control Organization (NACO), which incidentally reports to Azad.

"How can this be a disease? It is just a form of sexual orientation. It's definitely not unnatural," a NACO official told TOI.

NACO has been working towards identifying MSMs and giving them a rightful place in society. A large number of targeted interventions (TI) have been put in place by NACO to specifically cater to the needs of the MSM community.

According to NACO's latest surveillance data, India is home to an estimated 4.12 lakh MSMs of whom 2.74 lakhs have been identified.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/i...ow/9103511.cms