Comprehensive knowledge and positive attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS among reproductive-aged women in Bangladesh and their associated factors: a cross-sectional study using the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019

Background: HIV/AIDS remains a global health concern and understanding the knowledge and attitudes of at-risk populations is crucial for effective prevention and management. This study examines the knowledge and attitudes related to HIV/AIDS among reproductive-aged women in Bangladesh and explores associated factors. Methods: The study analyzed data from a total of 39,066 reproductive women, obtained from the nationally representative 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. The outcome variables assessed were the level of HIV/AIDS-related knowledge (high vs low) and attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS (good vs poor). These variables were derived by calculating the median values of scores obtained from nine and six questions in the survey that assessed knowledge and attitudes toward HIV/AIDS, respectively. The explanatory variables included sociodemographic factors and variables related to media exposure. A multivariate logistic regression model was employed to investigate the associations between the outcome and explanatory variables. Results: Over half of the total respondents (51.6%) reported a lower level of knowledge, and a significant majority (54.2%) exhibited poor attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS, with notable variations observed across districts. Women in comparatively higher age groups, those with higher levels of education, hailing from more affluent families, residing in urban areas, and having exposure to newspapers, the internet, computers, and mobile phones displayed higher levels of knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS. Conversely, women with higher education levels, residing in rural areas, and having exposure to mobile phones and the internet exhibited good attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS. Unmarried respondents reported lower likelihoods of good attitude towards HIV/AIDS. Conclusion: The findings underscores the urgent need for policies and programs designed to improve HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes, with a focus on district-level requirements. Effective strategies may include mass media campaigns and the incorporation of HIV/AIDS-related topics into the national curriculum. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This research received no external funding. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: The data of this study were obtained from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) Archive, supported by United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF). The survey protocol was approved by technical committee of the Government of Bangladesh lead by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). Verbal consent was obtained for each respondent participating in the survey. All respondents were informed of the voluntary nature of participation and the confidentiality and anonymity of information and they were informed of their right to refuse answering all or particular questions, as well as to stop the interview at any time. I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes The data is openly available to the UNICEF MICS databases in https://mics.unicef.org/surveys.