HIV transmission knowledge among Rohingya refugee women in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Increasing numbers of Rohingya refugees have been found to be infected with HIV since they arrived in Bangladesh after being ousted from Myanmar in 2017. This study aimed to examine the knowledge about HIV transmission among Rohingya refugee women and to identify factors that are associated with that knowledge. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire that was based on the standard questionnaire of the Demographic and Health Survey programme. SETTING: Rohingya settlements in the Kutupalong refugee camp at Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. PARTICIPANTS: Interviews were conducted with 508 women who had married or given birth in the 2 years before the survey was done. OUTCOME MEASURE: The participants were asked to answer a set of questions to assess their knowledge about HIV transmission. RESULTS: Around 70% of the women could not accurately answer four of the eight questions, and there were substantial misconceptions about the modes of HIV transmission. Knowledge regarding HIV transmission among participants increases in conjunction with the age at which they were first married. Women who were involved in work outside their households or those whose husbands were employed were more likely than others to demonstrate relatively good knowledge of transmission. Women who had received some formal education were 2.37 times likely to show relatively good knowledge of HIV transmission than those who had not received any education. Availability of healthcare facilities in the blocks where women resided is also associated with better knowledge. However, knowledge of HIV transmission among Rohingya women was significantly lower than among women in Bangladesh and Myanmar. CONCLUSION: Most Rohingya women have inadequate knowledge of HIV transmission. Targeted interventions are needed to provide HIV education and to assist with prevention and behavioural changes.