College student's project aimed at understanding HIV/AIDS

Leelanau County native Sara Baumann won't be lounging on the beach this summer.

Instead, the college student is spending her summer in India trying to do her part to stem the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Sara Baumann

Baumann, a Suttons Bay High School graduate, is a junior at the University of Michigan studying international public health. This summer, Baumann has been in India for about four weeks, educating people about the deadly disease. She works for a program called YRG Care, a center for AIDS research and education that also provides counseling for victims of domestic abuse. The woman who discovered the AIDS virus in India founded the center and named it after her brothers.

Baumann's main focus is working with prostitutes in India. Through her work with YRG, she talks to the women to give a better understanding of the risks and peer influence they face. She submitted a research proposal to the Center for South Asian Studies, and will develop an analysis of her findings. She said she became fascinated by the issue after reading about HIV.

"I became interested in female sex workers because I was studying the HIV epidemic in India and discovered that this is believed to be the way in which HIV was brought to India," said Baumann.

"The more I learned about this community, the more questions I had, and therefore I knew I had to make (prostitutes) my research target group," she said. "The number of people living with HIV/AIDS is higher here than anywhere else in the world."

She said the infection rate is over 1 percent of the total population, meaning that more than 4 million people in India are living with HIV/AIDS.

While in Chennai, formerly known as Madras and one of the largest Indian cities with over 7 million people, Baumann said she’s observed many differences in culture and lifestyle. Her host family in India doesn't allow her to go out after dark or to be anywhere alone.

Visiting with girls at an orphanage.

While she admits that she doesn’t blend in with the local population, she’s tried to be respectful of the Indian culture and wear traditional saris. Women appreciate this, she added, though she doesn't enjoy the freedoms she has at home.

"Women play a completely different role here," said Baumann. "Many do not know their basic rights."

Baumann said that because jobs are hard to come by in India, many women are forced into working in the commercial sex business. They face many challenges, both mental and physical.

One is domestic violence, Baumann said, adding that many women aren’t aware of personal rights. Men often take priority in the culture.

"It's hard for me to hear stories about my friends, about them having arranged marriages and not being in love," said Baumann. "Some of them face abuse, mentally and physically."

Baumann said many women who are in bad or uncomfortable arranged marriages come to YRG Care for counseling or information. At the center, Baumann observes ongoing projects, talks to community members, provides information about HIV/AIDS, and refers women to domestic violence counseling opportunities.

Baumann also worked with the YRG to help inform the local populace of efforts to create a cure for AIDS as part of World AIDS Vaccine Day on May 18.

While Baumann said her assignment in India has been a challenge and that she sometimes feels discouraged, she knows her work is important.

"I no longer take the small things for granted,” she said. “I have gone hungry, worked so hard in 100 degree heat, went without showering and washed my clothes in buckets. I appreciate this experience because it helps me realize that there is so much more out there, and how thankful I am for everything that has been provided for me back home."