If you spend even a day on a college campus today, you’ll see students talking openly about almost everything - mental health, gender identity, climate issues, fairness, politics. It feels like a generation that isn’t afraid of big topics. But strangely, when the conversation shifts to HIV, there’s still a pause. People look down, or they change the subject. The silence isn’t because students don’t care. Most of them do. They just don’t feel safe or sure enough to talk about it honestly.
That’s why India needs a rights-based approach to HIV education. Not the old fear-based messages that try to scare people into behaving in a certain way. And not the moral judgments that make students feel guilty for simply asking questions. A rights-based approach puts dignity first, the right to correct information, the right to privacy, and the right to be treated like a human being, no matter who you are or what your background is.
Information alone hasn’t fixed anything
For decades, HIV awareness has mostly meant posters, leaflets, slogans, or a guest lecture once a year. And yet, UNAIDS (2024) shows something uncomfortable: people aged 15–29 still make up more than one-third of new HIV cases in India. That’s college students. This isn’t happening because young people don’t know HIV exists; everybody has heard of it. It’s happening because they don’t have safe access, judgment-free systems, or supportive policies to actually use the information they have.
A rights-based view accepts the obvious truth: the biggest barriers aren’t lack of awareness. The barriers are fear, shame, and the worry of being exposed or judged.
Where rights actually matter
Students open only when they feel protected emotionally and socially. Without that foundation, they stay quiet. So, HIV education has to center on three basic protections:
1. The right to learn without being judged
Students should be able to understand HIV in a space that doesn’t shame them or assume things about their choices. Whether someone is heterosexual, queer, questioning, dating, or just curious, the information should reflect the mix of students on campus. Education should match reality, not moral expectations.
2. The right to private, comfortable testing and support
A NACO survey in 2023 showed that less than 20% of young people have ever taken an HIV test, even when there was a clear reason to do so. Not because they don’t want to, but because they’re scared someone will see them walk in, or that a label will follow them forever.
Most students would get tested if they could do it quietly and without fuss. This is basic: access shouldn’t feel like a risk. A simple, private room on campus could make a huge difference.
3. The right to not be treated differently
Even today, students who are living with HIV find themselves avoided or left out slowly, quietly. Sometimes people stop including them; sometimes it’s uncomfortable politeness that creates distance. A rights-based approach expects universities to actually practice what the HIV & AIDS (Prevention & Control) Act 2017, promises not just mention it on a website. Real protection is reflected in behaviour, not in circulars.
Moving beyond symbolic efforts
A rights-based model is not about adding another slideshow during orientation week. It’s about changing how campuses work.
Some practical steps:
- Peer educators: Students trust other students more than formal speakers. Trained “health champions” can answer questions without embarrassment.
- Health corners: A small, private space for testing and counselling. Not a public clinic where everyone can see who walks in.
- Curriculum inclusion: Instead of treating it like a special session, sexual and reproductive health should simply be part of what every student learns.
- Digital micro-learning: Short, relatable content works. Outdated, lecture-style messaging doesn’t matter.
It’s also about power, consent, and safety
HIV education is tied to bigger issues - consent, gender dynamics, and autonomy. Young women and gender-diverse students often face a higher risk, not because of “behaviour,” but because they don’t always have equal power in decisions.
A rights-based message shifts the focus:
“You’re allowed to say no.”
“You’re allowed to access protection without fear.”
“You’re allowed to make informed choices about your own body.”
This framing is far healthier than scare tactics that paint sexuality as something dangerous.
Tech helps, but dignity matters more
Online counselling, anonymous question portals, and app-based modules can make HIV education easier and more private. But technology alone isn’t enough. The foundation still has to be respectful and dignified. Tech should support rights, not replace human understanding.
Why campuses must act now
Young India is changing quickly through dating apps, independence, and shifting norms. Risks change, too. Colleges can’t afford to use old approaches for new realities. A rights-based model acknowledges how students actually live and learn.
The payoff is long-term: more students come forward for testing, less stigma circulates, healthier choices get made, and peer support grows stronger.
Rights don’t just protect students while they’re in college; they help shape thoughtful, empathetic adults.
The change starts with honest conversation
If India truly wants to reduce HIV infections among its youth, we need to stop treating students like passive listeners. They deserve straightforward information, real privacy, and a campus culture that doesn’t shame them.
A rights-based approach isn’t a bonus. It’s the minimum standard. Because when students feel informed, respected, and safe, they don’t just look after themselves; they shift the culture around them. And that’s where real change always begins.
(By Apurv Modi, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Abhay Group)
