AEGiS-14IAC: The vulnerability of Trafficked women &children of Bangladesh to HIV/AIDS: A situation analysis.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

The vulnerability of Trafficked women &children of Bangladesh to HIV/AIDS: A situation analysis.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. G12540)

Bosu AK, Jana S, Alam S, Kamal M
Care-Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh

ISSUE: This study tried to explore the vulnerability of trafficked women & children to HIV/AIDS & to know their knowledge about the risks they run and to asses their felt needs.

METHOD: Various methods were applied to collect the information on trafficking of women Children. They are one to one in depth interview with affected women & children once who were trafficked ages back and returned home, key informant interview were lateen from the local power broker and law enforcing agencies. And also one to one interview and focus group discussion was held with the members of the affected family. All this methods used to know the key players involved in this process and how women and children are being exploited & sexually abused with a view to develop strategies for anti-trafficking program.

RESULTS: Women are mainly trafficked for sex work in different parts of the countries and as they are illiterate, unconscious families do not have enough knowledge about trafficking. These trafficked women & children are highly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and especially the minors because quite often they are exposed to forcible sexual encounter and rape.

CONCLUSION: Trafficked women and children are highly vulnerable group for accruing HIV/AIDS. But this is a group, which is hard to reach. So, right at this moment, raising awareness in the affected area and advocacy at high level could minimize this menace.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, Prostitution, Research, Bangladesh, Demography, Politics, Child, Adult, Human, Female

020707
G12540