AccScience Publishing / GHES / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/ghes.1643
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

HIV-related knowledge and risk behaviors among transgender individuals in Dhaka, Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study

Md. Mantaka Rahman1,2* Ummul Khair Alam2 Sathi Dastider2 Ajmari Sharmin2 Afroza Tamanna Shimu3 Ciptasari Prabawanti4
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1 Infectious Disease Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
2 National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), Dhaka, Bangladesh
3 Rangpur Medical College Hospital, Rangpur, Bangladesh
4 Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Submitted: 21 August 2023 | Accepted: 17 November 2023 | Published: 15 February 2024
© 2024 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among transgender individuals in Bangladesh stands at 1%, with a slightly lower rate of 0.9% observed specifically in Dhaka city. Given their status as a minority group, the limited understanding of HIV among transgender individuals poses a significant public health concern. Consequently, the study aims to investigate the HIV-related knowledge and risk behaviors prevalent among transgender individuals in Dhaka city. This cross-sectional study included 135 transgender individuals sourced from a drop-in-center (DIC) and three selected Hijra Pollis in Dhaka. Data collection employed a semi-structured questionnaire featuring a Likert scale designed to collect data on HIV-related knowledge. The majority of participants identified as professional sex workers, with 54.10% reporting irregular sexual clients, and 48.90% involved in sex work for more than 10 years. Despite more than half (57%) exhibiting robust HIV-related knowledge, only one-third (37.30%) reported sporadic use of barrier methods, and slightly more than half (58%) demonstrated awareness of HIV symptoms. A notable discrepancy in HIV-related knowledge was discerned between transgender individuals from the DIC and their counterparts from the Hijra Pollis (t [95% confidence interval] = 0.168 [0.1001 – 0.236], p < 0.001). In conclusion, despite the provision of healthcare services at the DIC, there persists a pressing need to address current risk behaviors and enhance sex education related to HIV awareness to mitigate associated hazards.

Keywords
Transgender
HIV-related knowledge
Risk Behavior
Dhaka
Funding
Bangladesh Medical Research Council
Conflict of interest
The authors claim that they have no known financial or interpersonal conflicts that could have influenced the research provided in this paper.
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Global Health Economics and Sustainability, Electronic ISSN: 2972-4570 Published by AccScience Publishing