Prevalence of HIV, risk behaviours and vulnerabilities of female sex partners of the HIV positive people who inject drugs (PWID) in Dhaka city, Bangladesh

BACKGROUND: The HIV epidemic in Bangladesh is largely being driven by people who inject drugs (PWID) and mainly concentrated in Dhaka city. Intregrated biological and behavioural survey (IBBS) data of 2016 showed that a considerable percentage of the HIV positive PWID had unsafe sex with their female sex partners. Prevalence of HIV, risk behaviorus and vulnerabilities among the female sex partners of the PWID still remain unexplored. METHODS: To measure HIV prevalence, risk behaviours (drugs/injection/sexual) and vulnerabilities (treatment of and knowledge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/uptake of the routine HIV testing and HIV prevention services/physical and sexual violence), a quantitative survey was conducted among 227 female sex partners of the HIV positive PWID in Dhaka city in 2019 by adopting a take-all sampling technique. RESULTS: The median age of participants was 34.0 years. Prevalence of HIV was 16.7% (95% CI: 12.4–22.2). Only 6.8% to 18.7% of the participants used condoms consistently with different male sex partners; only 6.8%cto 18.7% during last year. Seventy five percent (95% CI: 69.2–80.8) had no knowledge on STI symptoms. Self-reported symptoms of STIs were reported by 26% (95% CI: 20.7–32.1) and half sought treatment during last year. Nineteen percent (95% CI: 14.7–25.1) had comprehensive knowledge of HIV. As part of the routine HIV prevention services by the PWID drop-in-centres (DICs), 42.7% (95% CI: 36.4–49.3) of the participants were tested for HIV and knew their result within the last year. One-third never received HIV prevention services. During the last one year preceding the survey, 46% (95% CI: 39.3–52.6) reported been beaten and 20.2% (95% CI: 15.3–26.1) been raped. CONCLUSION: It is urgently necessary to consider the high-risk behaviours and vulnerabilities in designing or to strengthen targeted interventions for female sex partners of the HIV positive PWID in Dhaka city to ensure equality in accessing and utilization of services.