Awareness rally organized by Kerala State AIDS Control Society, District AIDS Control Unit, District Medical Office (Health) and Chavara Cultural Center in Kochi on Monday to mark World AIDS Day. | Photo credit: RK Nithin
Kerala has one of the lowest HIV prevalence rates in the country at 0.07% against the national prevalence rate of 0.20%.
However, the state’s concerns regarding HIV stem from the fact that there has been a steady increase in new HIV infections in the state in the 15-24 age group over the past three years.
When read together with the fact that 62.6% of individuals who contracted HIV in the last three years in Kerala acquired the infection through unsafe heterosexual sex with multiple partners, the picture is truly disturbing.
Increasing number of infections in the 15-24 age group
According to data held by the Kerala State AIDS Control Society, the state reported 1,213 new HIV infections in 2024. The state has a total of 23,608 people living with HIV.
In the three years between 2022 and 2025 (October), Kerala detected 4,477 new HIV cases. While the majority are men (3,393), there are 1,065 women (of which 90 are pregnant) and 19 transgender people.
“New infections during this three-year period have been more or less stable. But what is alarming is the steady increase in new HIV infections in the 15-24 age group in Kerala. In 2022, new infections in the 15-24 age group were 9%, which increased to 12% in 2023 and 14.024% from 2,” the senior pointed out.
In 2025, between April and October, the proportion of new HIV infections in the 15-24 age group has already touched 15.4%, suggesting that HIV prevention and messaging activities will need to be stepped up in this vulnerable age group.
Cause of infections
KSACS data show that among those who became infected with HIV between April 2022 and October 2025, 62.6% of individuals became infected through a heterosexual route involving multiple partners.
In the same period, while 24.6% of individuals became infected through homosexual or bisexual means, 8.1% of those who became infected were injection drug users who indulged in needle sharing. Mother-to-child transmission accounted for 0.9% of cases. In 3.7% of infections the reasons are unknown or non-specific and in 0.1% there may be more than one reason.
It may be recalled that a routine HIV screening of an inmate at the Tavanur Central Jail recently found that an inmate detained for drug possession had tested positive, raising concerns about the spread of HIV among his fellow drug users in and around the area. After months of careful reporting, health officials discovered that 10 cases were HIV positive, including several migrant workers, also highlighting the need for better interventions in this vulnerable group.
Youth-focused interventions needed
According to the trend of new infections, KSACS envisages Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Kozhikode as priority areas for HIV prevention programs for the state, respectively.
Kerala remains a low-prevalence, highly effective state in HIV control and leads in viral load suppression and service coverage. But it has its task. The state will have to accelerate its activities in the field of HIV prevention among the youth and the mobile population and specifically address gaps in awareness and behavioral aspects.
Published – 01 Dec 2025 21:29 IST
