Social inequalities and the context of vulnerabilities: HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention knowledge among married women

ABSTRACT

Worldwide, socioeconomically disadvantaged women bear disproportionate risks of HIV infection. To examine if the individual and community-level socioeconomic disadvantages further increase their vulnerabilities, we used Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys. Between 2004 and 2014, we found pronounced disparities in HIV/AIDS prevention knowledge among women based on their socioeconomic status and community context. We observed substantial growth of knowledge among all women while the greatest growth occurred among those living in the disadvantaged communities. There is a need for greater understanding of the social determinants to develop and implement HIV/AIDS education programs that would benefit all segments of the population.