HIV infections have been increasing at an alarming rate in Khulna, where 17 people have died from AIDS-related complications in the past eight months. During the same period, 55 new HIV cases were identified, with male homosexuals forming the largest group among the newly infected. Data from the Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) corner of Khulna Medical College Hospital revealed that 37 of the new patients were men and 18 were women.

According to ART center records, 735 people underwent HIV testing in the last eight months, including 434 men and 301 women. Since 2017, a total of 7,773 people have been tested at the hospital, with 964 confirmed HIV-positive cases. ART focal person Dr. Mohammad Yunus Ali emphasized the need for regular testing among sex workers and those engaged in unsafe sexual practices to better understand the spread of infection.

Health officials, including Khulna’s Civil Surgeon Dr. Mahfuza Khatun and Divisional Health Director Dr. Sheikh Mosharraf Hossain, stated that free HIV testing and treatment are available under government programs. They warned that rising infection rates pose a serious public health concern and stressed that awareness is key to prevention.