Karnataka Sees Rise in HIV Cases Among Youth, Officials Deny Viral “7,000 Students” Claim

Karnataka is seeing a rise in HIV cases among young people, especially in the 18 to 35 age group, and the state has started awareness and voluntary testing camps in colleges. Officials have denied the viral claim that 7,000 students specifically tested HIV positive, saying the figure is misleading because HIV data is not kept by “student” category.

Reports based on KSAPS data say active HIV cases in Karnataka rose from 44,581 in 2023-24 to 62,664 in 2024-25 and 66,606 in 2025-26. One report says more than 56,000 people in the state are still unaware of their HIV status, which makes early testing and counselling important.