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Country Profile
The first case of HIV in Bangladesh was identified in 1989. Since then, the HIV prevalence amongst adults aged 15-49 has remained at less than 0.1% [1]. By the end of 2007, 12,000 adults and children were estimated to be living with HIV & AIDS in the country [2].
Despite the low prevalence however there was a relative increase of women (aged 15 above) living with HIV from <100 in 2001 to 2,000 in 2007. The estimated number of AIDS-related deaths also increased from <100 in 2001 to 510 in 2007 [2]. Risk factors for HIV are injecting drug use (IDU) commercial sex coupled with a general lack of knowledge of the epidemic and a cultural context of male dominance and taboos. Men having sex with men (MSM) are also at higher risk of HIV.
Sources:
[1] UNAIDS. Report on the AIDS epidemic, 2006
[2] WHO, UNAIDS and UNICEF. Epidemiological Fact Sheet on HIV and AIDS: Bangladesh , July 2008