BD AIDS

The low level of awareness especially on STD, HIV and AIDS is always alarming for rapid diffusion of epidemic in population of higher size. This is because culture of a particular society can restrict partially but not forbid entirely the heterogeneous sexual relation among its inhabitants as because it is solely a spontaneous response to nature. SHAD has been working with under privileged women, children and drug users in Khulna division located at the Southern region of Bangladesh since last 8 years. From its working experience at this particular region, SHAD found that a mutiny has taken place beyond the sight and is still functioning without any mentionable indication of ending. Random practice of adolescent sex, abundance of multiple marriages for trafficking and sex trade, sex trade in home and abroad make this individual population of a particular region in Bangladesh is distinguished from general culture and sexual attitude of other areas that may the reason of high vulnerability of STD, HIV/AIDS. SHAD conducted a study to explore their attitude, determine the unsafe sex along with vulnerability to STI, HIV and AIDS.

The general objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of risk factor of HIV & AIDS in a particular region of Bangladesh along with extra-marital sexual attitude of the locality.

The specific objectives of the study was:

• i. To determine the extent of unsafe sex
• ii. To assess the awareness level & Vulnerability of STI & AIDS
• iii. To identify distinguished sexual attitude of the region and
• iv. To identify socio-cultural determinants resulting in distinguished sexual attitude.

Background information : The proposed study was conducted through questionnaire survey, personal interview and observation in Khulna division and near about 30 km. from Khulna City but the whole area is administered by three different districts; Khulna, Jessore and Narail that created the risky triangle. The general statistics of these three administrative areas is given below;

Dighalia Upazila under Khulna district: Area of 77.16 sq km. Population 107840; male 53%, female 47%; Muslim 75.30%, Hindu 23.92%, Christian 0.68%, others 0.10%. Average literacy 39.4%; male 47.1%, female 30.5%. Main occupations Agriculture 17.87%, fishing 1.51%, agricultural laborer8.64%, wage laborer 32.04%, industries 3.35%, commerce 11.51%, transport 2.33%, service 13.32%, others 7.36%. Among the peasants 11.65% are landless, 33.08% small, 16.3% intermediate, 36.6% marginal, 2.46% rich; cultivable land per head 0.052 hectare. Upazila health complex 1, satellite clinic 3.

Abhaynagar Upazila under Jessore district: Area of 247.19 sq km. Population 204654; male 52%, female 48%; Muslim 76.21%; Hindu 23.63% and others 0.16%. Average literacy 39.9%; male 53.2% female 26.5%. Main occupations Agriculture 31.48%, agricultural laborer 17.16%, wage laborer 4.11%, commerce 12.32%, service 22.04%, fishing 1.49%, industry 1.2%, transport 1.93% and others 8.27%. Among the peasants 23% are landless, 32% small, 33% intermediate and 12% rich. Upazila health complex 1, Union health and family planning centre 8, Satellite clinic 3.

Kalia Upazila under Narail district: Area of 317.64 sq km. Population 196747; male 50.58%, female 49.58%; Muslim 76.72%; Hindu 23.27% and Christian 0.01. Average literacy 31.9%; male 38.4% and female 25.3%. Main occupations Agriculture 43.64%, fishing 2.48%, agricultural laborer 19.39%, wage laborer 2.15%, industry 1.57% commerce 13.42%, service 6.98%, transport 2.02%, and others 8.35%. Among the peasants 14.40% are landless, 25.85% marginal, 31.61% small, 21% intermediate and 7.15% rich. Upazila health complex 1, family planning centre 12 and satellite clinic1.

Keen on the current topic: The panic begins in very depth, few land owners depends on farming but others have scarcity of occupation – rivers empty of fish and dried in most of the season, agriculture depends on indigenous system and have production in irregular manner, self employment also could not spread as the rich live in far towns. What emerges from the situation is highly mobile population in search of livelihood. Spouse and siblings live for none during the house owner out for earning for months. It made the female population also to be mobile and vulnerable to trafficking. The trends starts since liberation, females were hired to work as servant to Dhaka , Calcutta , Bombay , and Dubai . There are few events of returning of them. Those had returned went again for earning. Case studies of the study revealed the fact that these huge quantities went abroad was left to earn by trading sex at different brothels and residence based sex trade spots. Sex workers are now oriented with and their so-called husbands/ traffickers are now very much professional. People of this group from both sexes are now being used by the traders of different brothel as regular employee for recruiting newer sex-workers.

Male portion reach the innocents in different way but mostly through multiple marriage, as it become a regular phenomena here. Poor parents getting no other way give marriage of their daughters to the foreign returnees even in some cases after knowing the fact of his another marriages. Saying that their daughter will be working together with her husband in abroad and send cash traffickers convince them. And if you go through the areas you will found some very beautiful brick made houses symbolizing the capacity of earning of this disguised frauds. A young woman who is totally unaware of their future easily gets into the trap.

The female portion of these professional traffickers receives young women from their parents as own younger sister and by promising for job mainly. But they sometimes also allure married couples to let the female go abroad alone with her, as there is only necessary of housemaids at abroad. Poor people receiving information of huge earning can keep control of leaving the opportunity without knocking.

The community promotes the trend. Shopkeepers, photographers, stationers, and communication center owners act as media and informer about of the helpless and vulnerable poor. Some times in exchange of money local elite also pressurize parents of a young girl to give her marriage to some of this villains.

Political displacement also geared up the trend for the years. Most of this poor people live on khash land (land owned by the government). Political people acquiring land illegally keep n way for these people to migrate and the situation comes they migrate to abroad for the better opportunity. Administration in these cases do very little to rehabilitate the displaced and being in the border of three different administrative authority they can inquire help from the authority in fewest cases.

What SHAD is doing; We are trying to motivate these people to generate self-sustained earning system within their capacity. Last year we provided small-scale donation to sixty-one family of the area for home based vegetable gardening, poultry farming, weaving fishing net, buying rickshaw van, and ferry daily items. But the earning of the trade they are being allured to are in parallel and with small earning sources with unsecured life they are still thinking of migration. We are doing awareness sessions among these people on anti trafficking and multiple marriages. Besides SHAD is conducting a HIV and AIDS prevention program among hotel based sex workers in collaboration with Family Health International and USAID.

Scope of further work: Though we are trying but we should admit that our effort is not enough to prohibit all route causes of trafficking, multiple marriages and extramarital sexual behavior. With a n organized and well designed sustainable rehabilitation program this high risk people can be motivated towards common life style of a human being.

They should be provided a means of livelihood that will bring self-respect among them.

• They should be provided adequate awareness of trafficking that would rescue them from being demographically displaced and get into illegal deal.
• They should be provided adequate awareness of multiple marriages that will help to build a healthy society and family bondage.
• They should be provided adequate awareness of HIV and AIDS that should save them from epidemic.

The above all are in are future strategy and we are trying to do them in priority basis. HIV prevention program is the start of point we took to penetrate the population. Most of them are looking for an alternative livelihood if we can provide them. And we are going to observe some fund-raising activities like cultural show of celebrity, magic show et. But with proper management authority under guidance we want to promote their awareness and self-motivation as well. The present effort to you is simply for this reason.