Patna: Trans persons will be involved as peer counsellors at the integrated testing and counselling centres run by Bihar State AIDS Control Society, project director Sanjay Kumar Singh said at a workshop here on Tuesday.

The integrated centres provide free HIV testing and counselling services.

Singh's announcement followed a long-standing demand from transgender activists to include transgender persons in the society's HIV and AIDS related programmes.

"Besides recognising transgender as third gender in its 2014 judgment, the Supreme Court had directed to set up separate HIV surveillance centres to help transgender people lead a dignified life. I am happy that the Bihar State AIDS Control Society has finally decided to engage transgender persons in the integrated centres. This would definitely bridge the gender gap in society," said transgender activist Reshma Prasad at the workshop on "People living with HIV and transgender issues" in Patna.

Reshma, a transgender, had again put up the demand on Tuesday for trans people suspected to be infected with HIV or suffering from AIDS to be reached out to as a separate category. As of now, the society handles these cases as part of its targeted intervention programme for men having same-sex relations.

"Hope that targeted interventions would soon be launched for transgender people in a separate category," Reshma said.

Assistant director of Greater Involvement for People Living with AIDS programme Sarita Kumari said involving transgender people as peer counsellors would go a long way to counter cases of HIV/AIDS in the community.

"If transgender people are with the integrated counselling and testing centres, the HIV-AIDS related intervention for transgender people would be more target-oriented because trans people would find it easy to open up before their own. It would also set a good example in society," said Sarita.

Joint director of information, education and communication, Manoj Kumar Sinha, deputy director of information, education and communication Manjeshwar Pathak attended the programme.

Free viral tests

Bihar State AIDS Control Society project director Singh announced that free viral load testing would start in all the districts soon. At present, the service is only available at anti retroviral therapy centres in Patna Medical College and Hospital, Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital, Muzaffarpur, and Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Bhagalpur. Viral load kits are used to determine the severity of an infection before deciding on the treatment regimen appropriate for HIV patients.

Anti retroviral therapy centres would also be started in all the districts soon, Singh added.