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Bangladesh, with a
population of 144,319,628(July 2005 est.), had about 13,000 adults and children
living with HIV infection at the end 2002, according to UNAIDS estimates.
However, only 248 HIV cases have actually been reported. Significant
underreporting of cases occurs because of the country's limited voluntary
testing and counseling capacity and the social stigma, which leads to the fear
of being identified and detected as HIV positive.
The HIV-prevalence rate
among adults between the ages of 15 and 49 is still relatively low, at 0.1
percent of the population. As expected, rates are higher in specific groups,
such as injecting drug users(IDUs) who have left treatment (1.7 percent) and
commercial sex workers (0.5 percent), according to a national behavioral and
serological surveillance undertaken in 2001. By a study of a National NGO in Bangladesh, Rainbow
Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation in mid-2006 at Kamrangir Char, Lalbagh and
Polashi in Dhaka city, surveyors interviewed 430 general population engaged in
rickshaw-pulling, selling tea, cosmetics and garments, and hawking goods door to
door. They found almost all of the respondents were migrants from rural areas,
most of whom were illiterate. Among all respondents 26% claimed to have
knowledge on HIV / AIDS and 74% did not have any knowledge. Some 40% of the
unmarried respondents maintaining consent sexual relations.
Although overall HIV
prevalence is low, behavior patterns and extensive risk factors that facilitate
the rapid spread of the infection are prevalent, making Bangladesh
highly vulnerable to an HIV/AIDS epidemic. These risk factors are gender
discrimination, A large commercial sex worker/ brothel sex worker, a large
number of hidden/residence sex worker, Lack of basic sexual knowledge, Lack of
proper knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases(STDs/STI) etc.
There are fourteen
government reputed brothel in Bangladesh, where roughly
40,000 sex workers live in there, the number of per sex worker’s client/customer
is 18.8 per week, and 44 clients per week for hotel-based workers. And
non-countable client meet to residence sex workers or street sex worker, who are
very vulnerable for HIV/AIDS. Significant prevalence of sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs) among sex workers in Central Bangladesh. About 43 percent of
female sex workers and 18.2 percent of male sex workers have syphilis. This and
other STDs facilitate the spread of HIV infection and serve as indicators for
low condom use and other high risk sexual behaviors. The majority of
brothel-based sex workers report at least some sex without condoms with their
clients. Among the clients, such as rickshaw pullers and truck drivers, about 83
percent have never used condoms when buying sex.
Now a day Injection Drug
Users are increasing all over in Bangladesh. In Central
Bangladesh, among 93.4 percent of over 500 injecting drug users, needle sharing
is routine. These drug injectors are not an isolated population—they are often
married and sometimes sell sex to customers and their own blood to hospitals and
clinics.
Lack of knowledge may be
creating most problems for Bangladesh of HIV/AIDS epidemic in future. While
knowledge of HIV is nearly universal among sex workers and their clients, it is
extremely low among the general population. In 1996-97, only 19 percent of women
who have been married and 33 percent of men had ever heard of AIDS. In 2001,
many still could not identify the basic routes of HIV transmission.
By keeping South Africa outside, India
has the largest number of people living with HIV, estimated at 5.1 million
(range: 2.5 million – 8.5 million) in 2003. Most infections are acquired
sexually, but injecting drug use is playing a bigger role than previously
thought. It is also a great threat for Bangladesh, because every day a large
number of people are going to India for various reasons. Bangladesh has twenty
custom and immigration point in the border with India, and Indian track crosses
of this border every day with loaded goods. But Indian track drivers are highly
infected HIV/AIDS. So it is also creating the scope of scattering HIV/AIDS in
Bangladesh. A recent survey in Bangladeshi track drivers by Rainbow Nari O
Shishu Kallyan Foundation, found that 80% track driver in Bangladesh have no
clear concept of HIV or AIDS. But 90% respond it is a deadly disease. Bangladesh
is a country rounded off three sides by HIV/AIDS bloom neighboring country India
and the existence of the Bay of Bengal on the other side. Every day a number
large of people cross border movement take place both officially and also
illegally. Due to reason of that great chance to spread out HIV/AIDS in
Bangladesh.
References: UNAIDS, CARE,
Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation
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Mohammad Khairul Alamtag: female,
male, commercial, floating, street, sex workers, aids, hiv, csws, idus, fsws,
girls, women, consensual, premarital, exmarital, sexuality, empowerment,
gender, education, prevention, dhaka, india, pakistan, bangladesh,
adolescent, teen, teenage, truck drivers. trafficking, epidemic, street
girls, knowledge, young people, discrimination, nonconsensual, coerced sex,
sexual partners, safe sex, sexually transmitted diseases, stds, stis, sexual
abuse, forced sex, risky sexual behaviour, business, multi partner sex,
heterosexual, injection, intravenous drugs users,
prostitution,
men who have sex with men, msm, harassment, sugar daddies, relationships,
condom, polygamy, homosexuality, extra marital, relations, truckers, migrant
workers, gay, hijras, hermaphrodites, professional blood donors, heroin
smokers, hotel, brothel, street based commercial sex workers, casual sex
workers, so called sex workers, violence, exploitation, Rainbow Nari O
Shishu Kallyan Foundation, Mohammad Khairul Alam |
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