HIV cases rising among the youth

After waking up early in the morning, the first thing he does is no longer checking his mobile phone. Instead, he takes several pills from a small white bottle kept on the table. He is only 24 years old, but this daily routine entered his life in December last year. The young man from the northeastern part of the capital is now afraid to reveal his identity even to friends and relatives. Just a few months ago, he was the most lively member of a group of five friends.

When his body weight started dropping abnormally and weakness increased, suspicion arose. On friends’ advice, he underwent an HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) test. The report came back positive. Later, it was learned that the infection had spread through his body via needles used while taking injectable drugs with friends.

Now the young man is regularly receiving ART (antiretroviral therapy—medication used to treat HIV) at a hospital in the capital. Treatment is ongoing, and his physical condition has improved somewhat, but the mental stress has not gone away. He says, “I didn’t know that sharing a needle was such a big risk. If I had known, I would never have done it.”

This story is not an isolated one; rather, it is a real reflection of the growing HIV cases among young people in Bangladesh.

According to data provided by the National AIDS and STD Control Programme under the Directorate General of Health Services, 1,891 people in Bangladesh were infected with HIV in 2025 (from December 2024 to November 2025). During the same period, 219 people died of AIDS in the country.

Another young man lives in the southeastern part of the capital. In November last year, he too learned that he was HIV positive. Physicians believe HIV has transmitted through sexual activity with multiple same-sex partners.

He is currently receiving regular treatment and counselling services from the ART centre at Bangladesh Medical University.

The young man says, “Whenever people talk about us, they only bring up morality; but very few talk about safety.”

The experiences of these two young men show that HIV is no longer confined to any specific group. It is gradually entering young society, often unknowingly.

Government data show that last year (2025), the rate of HIV detection among unmarried individuals increased by more than 10 per cent. Day by day, HIV detection is rising among unmarried adolescents and young people.

Public health experts, physicians, and specialists said that misconceptions about curiosity or sexuality, lack of awareness, and insufficient knowledge about protective measures are contributing to the rise of HIV infections among young people. They believe that extensive awareness campaigns about this deadly disease, expanding sex education, and increasing overall awareness could reduce this trend.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services, 42 per cent of newly identified HIV-positive individuals in 2025 were unmarried young men and women. In the previous year, 2024, this figure was 31.5 per cent. This means that within just one year, the rate of infection among young people increased significantly.

The situation outside the capital is also alarming. In Jashore, more than 50 people were infected with HIV in 2025. Jashore Civil Surgeon Md Masud Rana told Prothom Alo that the number of school and college students among the infected individuals was comparatively high.

The civil surgeon said, “Awareness among students of this age is low, but curiosity is very high. That curiosity leads to risky behaviour.” He added that the number of young men engaging in same-sex relations among these students is also notable.

Public health experts said several factors contribute to the rise in HIV cases among young people. These include the use of injectable drugs, where sharing needles among multiple people allows blood-borne infections to spread rapidly. There is also risky sexual behaviour—such as not using condoms, having multiple partners, or not knowing a partner’s health status. Silence around sexual health is also believed to be contributing to the increase in HIV infections, as families and educational institutions do not openly discuss sexuality and sexual health.

Saima Khan, Country Director of UNAIDS Bangladesh, told Prothom Alo that the age of unmarried people getting infected can generally be considered to be within 25 years. At this age, it is not uncommon to engage in reckless sexual behaviour without thinking responsibly. In most cases, they are unaware of the risks. This lack of knowledge stems from a lack of awareness. The main reason HIV is spreading among young people is this lack of awareness, she added.

Russell Ahmed (pseudonym) is a representative of an NGO working on the physical well-being and counselling of people diagnosed with HIV. He said, “In many cases, young boys and girls do not understand the extent of the harm. Another issue is that there is a social taboo around protective measures. For example, people become uncomfortable just hearing the word ‘condom.’ These taboos need to be broken, and people need to have basic understanding of these issues.”

HIV is not curable. However, with regular medication, an HIV-positive person can live a normal life, and the risk of transmitting the virus to others is significantly reduced, said renowned virologist Professor Nazrul Islam. He told Prothom Alo that HIV-positive men and women can lead almost normal lives if they take medication regularly.

Still, the reality is that many young people do not get tested for a long time even after becoming infected. Some delay starting treatment due to social fear and shame.

The young man from Badda said, “I am now taking medication regularly; but I want no one else to make the same mistake I did.”

Sociologists and psychologists believe that curiosity or interest in sexuality at a young age has always existed, but it is now manifesting in different ways. Social changes are happening very rapidly. Widespread technological development is playing a role. Social bonds are loosening. Rapid urbaniastion is bringing new people into cities. Technology has also led to the massive expansion of social media. All of this is having an impact on values, said psychologist Professor Helal Uddin Ahmed.

He told Prothom Alo that technological expansion has increased accessibility for young people, making it almost unrestricted. At the same time, this group lacks awareness and accurate understanding of sexuality.

Professor Nazrul Islam considers the rise of HIV among adolescents and young people to be alarming. He said this age is risky, and to reduce that risk, attention must be paid to how much reproductive health education is being provided at the school level. Multiple organisations are working to prevent HIV transmission. Monitoring how effective those efforts are is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health, he added.