Ghaziabad's District AIDS Control Officer has dismissed recent media reports claiming that 20 women contracted HIV due to getting tattoos. Officials clarified that no such data has been released by the department, calling the reports misleading.

The claims first surfaced over the past few days, suggesting that women had contracted HIV after receiving tattoos from street-side vendors in Ghaziabad. To address these concerns, the District AIDS Control Office issued a press statement on November 11, 2024, clarifying the situation.

In the statement, ART Nodal Officer Dr. A.K. Dixit explained that HIV typically spreads through unprotected sexual contact, infected blood transfusions, transmission from mother to child, shared needles, and repeated use of infected syringes. He emphasized that HIV does not spread through sharing toilets, hugging, dining together, kissing, shaking hands, or mosquito bites.

Dr. Anil Kumar Yadav, District AIDS Control Officer, also mentioned ongoing health camps in various locations to screen migrant workers and their families for HIV. Additionally, workshops will soon be organized at each block to train village heads, Anganwadi workers, and ASHA workers on HIV awareness and prevention.

In response to recent reports titled “20 Women Contracted HIV in Four Years Due to Tattoos,” Dr. Yadav clarified that the department has not issued such data nor has any official made statements to this effect. The department is currently reviewing the matter and necessary action is underway.

Over the past four years, Ghaziabad’s district hospital has identified 68 women as HIV-positive during prenatal screenings. During counseling, 20 women expressed suspicion that they may have contracted the infection from tattooing, especially as many got tattoos from roadside vendors who may reuse needles.

Counselor Uma Singh at the district hospital noted that while tattooing itself does not cause HIV, using the same needle across multiple clients increases the risk. Pathologist Dr. Shefali Agarwal advised tattoo artists to use fresh needles for each client to minimize infection risks, emphasizing that awareness and caution are essential for preventing HIV transmission.