MMS HIV Infections on Rise in Karnataka, 417 Cases Reported

In a significant and alarming development in public health, Karnataka is seeing a sharp rise in HIV infections, particularly cases related to Male-to-Male sexual (MMS) contact. The state has witnessed 417 new HIV infections this year. 

The data from Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) reported that active HIV cases in Karnataka rose from 44,581 in 2023-24 to 66,606 in 2025-26. As MMS comes under the high-risk group, the rise in cases is prompting health authorities to take immediate control of the situation.

A cross-sectional study in 2024 titled ‘Determinants of High HIV



Infection Prevalence in Vijayapura, Bagalkot, and Belagavi Districts in Karnataka, India,’ published in the National Library of Medicine, stated that high-risk populations, including men who have sex with men (MMS) and injecting drug users (IDU), significantly contribute to HIV infections in the State. 

The paper revealed some interesting facts in which males constituted the majority of HIV cases, accounting for 448 (56.0%) in Vijayapura, 334 (51.4%) in Bagalkot, and 644 (61.1%) in Belagavi districts in Karnataka. Moreover, the paper highlighted that a high prevalence of HIV was seen in adults aged between 25 and 49 years.