Overview
The number of people living with HIV/AIDS is increasing. According to recent official statistics, there are 757 cases of HIV/AIDS in Azerbaijan, about 20 per cent of which are female. Their true number could be higher (if only because HIV-testing is not widespread). In almost one half of the reported cases, injection drug use was the main mode of transmission (47.6%), with sharing of needles the major immediate cause. Drug trafficking is widespread in the entire region, and it is feared that drug use could continue to rise. Socio-economic decline, discomfort among women in negotiating condom use with their partners and traditional taboos about sexuality could also contribute to the problem. If nothing is done, it is obvious that the situation could deteriorate significantly, especially in rural areas. Due to unemployment, an estimated 2 million Azeri men have left the countryside to work in Russia and in the Ukraine, where the virus is on the rise. Migrants are considered at risk because they are likely to engage in casual sex when abroad.
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