Are Nepal’s young migrant garment and carpet factory workers vulnerable to HIV?
The growing textile industry in Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley attracts large numbers of young rural migrant workers. Away from home, are they vulnerable to rising epidemics of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV? Researchers investigated the behaviours and perceptions of risk among migrant workers aged 14 to 19 years. In Nepal, teenagers make up one sixth of all known HIV cases. One third of the total numbers of women infected by HIV are young girls. Over two thirds of the workers in carpet and garment factories are under 24 and most are either illiterate or have a low level of education. They may be more likely to engage in high-risk behaviour due to: • living in mixed-gender hostels • peer pressure • lack of parental supervision • low income • lack of job security • exploitation by employers • isolation and loneliness. The researchers from the Centre for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities (CREHPA), Nepal and the Centre for Population Studies, London School
