Non-marital sex helps spread HIV/AIDS

Despite a still low HIV prevalence, various risk factors including non-marital sex are posing increasing threat of HIV/AIDS in the country for lack of proper communication strategy. Since the HIV/AIDS was first detected in Bangladesh in 1989, a total of 874 cases of HIV positive and 240 cases of AIDS were reported and confirmed in 1996.

Some 109 people died of the deadly disease in the country while an estimated 7,500 people live with HIV/AIDS, according to figures available with the National AIDS/STD Programme under the Health and Family Welfare Ministry.

'Assessment of Sexual Behaviour of Men in Bangladesh', a study of sexual practices among the overall male population, showed that non-marital sex with high-risk partners was found to be common among the general male population.

The study revealed that almost 27 percent of "never-married" men and 13 percent of "ever-married" men reported non-marital sex in the past one year. Low condom use was found to be the norm, with only one-quarter of penetrative sex acts involving condoms. Various types of risk behaviors and factors now make Bangladesh more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS epidemic. These are low condom use, HIV prevalent neighbouring countries including India, high client flow with commercial sex workers (CSWs), use of injecting drugs and higher Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) among the high risk groups. Adolescent and youth are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS as another study show that 50 percent young people are at risk. Government with the collaboration of national and international NGOs has been trying to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic through various logistic supports and communication strategies since its detection in the country, but any remarkable success is yet to be found, according to experts.

Former chairman of Mass Communication Department of Rajshahi University Dulal Chandra Biswas told UNB that Bangladesh could not yet achieve any appreciable success in combating HIV/AIDS for lack of proper communication strategy. "We follow the communication strategies of other HIV/AIDS epidemic countries like Africa ignoring our social and cultural contexts," he said.