Leucoderma or vitilgo is an autoimmune disorder of pigmentation. Black hair, skin colour, etc depend on the level of melanin content in the body. Melanin deficiency is the cause of the harmless, white patches of leucoderma. The patches may be confined to one place or may spread to many places. It is not at all infectious or contagious. Ignorance of this elementary fact keeps people away from the vitilgo- affected, many of whom withdraw into a shell for fear of ostracism. People refer to leucoderma as " white leprosy", which is a false belief.
Recently an engineering student with leucodermic patches was suspended from an University in Tamilnadu on the ground that many students were against his continuance.Adverse media publicity made the University to seek medical opinion and to reinstate the student . But can the University ever compensate this psychological damage caused to the innocent student? An educated couple in my neighbourhood-wife a teacher and husband an engineer - decided not to have conjugal relationship just after six years of love marriage ( my counselling failed) as white patches appeared on his body and started spreading. Now 18 years have elapsed without any change in attitude. What a penalty of ignorance?
Recently an engineering student with leucodermic patches was suspended from an University in Tamilnadu on the ground that many students were against his continuance.Adverse media publicity made the University to seek medical opinion and to reinstate the student . But can the University ever compensate this psychological damage caused to the innocent student? An educated couple in my neighbourhood-wife a teacher and husband an engineer - decided not to have conjugal relationship just after six years of love marriage ( my counselling failed) as white patches appeared on his body and started spreading. Now 18 years have elapsed without any change in attitude. What a penalty of ignorance?
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