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Background: Bhutan is committed to eliminating hepatitis B and hepatitis C, though recent baseline estimates of disease burden in the general population are unknown. In 2017, we carried out a biomarker survey in the general population to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) biomarkers to evaluate the impact of immunization and guide further efforts. Methods: In 2017, a cross-sectional, population-based, three-stage cluster survey was undertaken of the general population (1-17 and 20+ years of age). We visited households, collected blood specimens and administered a standard questionnaire. Specimens were collected for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV) testing. We calculated prevalence of infection and selected characteristics, along with confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Of 1372 individuals approached, 1358 (99%) participated. Of those, 1321 (97%) had a specimen tested for HBsAg, and among 1173 enrolled individuals 5 years of age or older, 1150 (98%) individuals were tested for anti-HCV. The prevalence of HBsAg was 2.0% in 775 persons 20 years of age or older (95% CI: 1.0-4.0) and 0.5% in 546 persons 1-17 years of age (95% CI: 0.1-1.8). The prevalence of anti-HCV was 0.3% (95% CI: 0.1-0.8) among persons ≥5 years. Conclusions: Universal hepatitis B immunization of infants has resulted in a low prevalence of chronic HBV infection in persons 1-17 years of age and the prevalence of anti-HCV is low among persons aged ≥5 years. Efforts should continue to reach high coverage of the timely birth dose along with completion of the hepatitis B vaccine series. To reduce the chronic liver disease burden among adults, HBV and HCV testing and treatment as indicated might be restricted to pregnant women, blood donors, individuals with chronic liver diseases, and other groups with history of high-risk exposures.

Introduction: The rapid socio-economic development in Bhutan has brought changes in individual lifestyles resulting in increased risk behavior of the urban population, particularly the Drayang girls. This study investigated the underlying factors influencing the sexual risk behaviour of Drayang girls and their vulnerability to HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI). The Drayangs are dance bars in Bhutan where the women perform Bhutanese songs/dances on the stage to entertain the bar patrons and making them pay for their performance. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted from May-July 2015 in three urban districts (Thimphu, Paro, and Phuentsholing) of Bhutan. The convenient non-random sampling method was used to recruit the respondents. We have collected the data using structured questionnaires including the taking of blood samples for HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis testing. Results: Of the 245 Drayang girls recruited for this study, 28.2% have engaged in transactional sex and 71.8% in non-transactional sex within last month. Condom use during transactional sex was 36.2% and non-transactional sex was 21.6%. The prevalence of HIV was 0.82%, hepatitis B 6.9%, and syphilis 2.8%. The factors such as marital status (divorced and unmarried), living arrangements, current living cities, and alcohol consumption were significantly (p<0.05) associated with transactional sex among Drayang girls. Conclusion: Although the prevalence of HIV and STIs is low among the Drayang girls, the presence of high riskbehavior with low condom use still makes them vulnerable to HIV and STIs. The study recommends putting more effort in prevention of HIV and STI by increasing awareness of HIV and STI, targeted interventions like Behaviour Change Communications (BCC), condom promotion, condom negotiation skills and access for testing and treatment of HIV and STI.

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Background: Knowing the number of persons at risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and their risk behaviors are needed to allocate limited resources, set targets for prevention and care activities, gauge the reach of programs, and assess their impact. Female sex workers (FSWs) are a population at high risk for STD worldwide; little is known about FSW in Bhutan. Methods:We conducted a community-based survey and population size exercise of FSW in Bhutan. The survey used a hybrid venue-based/peerreferral sampling method. Population size estimation methods were key informant mapping, census and enumeration, unique object multiplier, and capture-recapture.Results: Of 517 women surveyed, 67.5% provided sex for money in the last year. Compared with FSWs at venues, FSWs referred by peers were more likely to have sex with alcohol (80.1% vs. 51.5%, P < 0.001) and more paying partners (mean, 3.5 vs. 2.0; P = 0.001), and less likely to have tested for an STD (28.3% vs. 51.0%, P < 0.001) or have outreach worker contact (27.6% vs. 41.5%, P = 0.007). The estimated number of FSWs in the 9 districts was 353 (95% confidence interval, 345-362). Extrapolation to the whole country projected 597 (417-777) FSWs nationally.Conclusions: Our estimate of the number of FSW in Bhutan corresponds to 0.71% of adult urban women, a figure in line with other countries in South and Southeast Asia. Our data highlight the need for outreach beyond venues where women are employed to reach FSW at higher risk for STD but who have less access to interventions.

Introduction CD4 count is an important predictor of disease progression, opportunities infection, deaths, and to understand the time interval between initial HIV infection to the first diagnosis. However, baseline CD4 count and the time period between initial infection and the diagnosis amongst PLHIV in Bhutan never been evaluated. Methods This is a retrospective study of the diagnosed PLHIV from the existing data system from January 10 to 30, 2021. Out of 512 reported HIV cases, 488 of those who were more than or equal to 18 years old and had their CD4 count testing within 6 months before initiating ART were considered for analysis. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to analyze the characteristics of the study population and relationship were established using the χ 2 Test. We have sought ethics approval and waiver for informed consent as it is the retrospective study of the client's record. The client's confidentiality was ensured by removing all the identifiers. Results The mean CD4 was 345 cells/ml for males and females. Twenty‐five percent of the clients had CD4 counts below 200, 30%, between 200 and 349, 25% between 350 and 499, and 20% above 500 cells/ml. A larger number of males showed a CD4 count below 200 cells/ml while more females showed a CD4 count more than 500 cells/ml. The mean time interval between initial infection to the first diagnosis was 4 years in males and females. However, about one‐fourth were found to have been infected between 5 and 8 years before diagnosis and less than 10% were diagnosed within less than 1 year of infection. Conclusions The study revealed a late diagnosis of HIV infection in Bhutan thereby risking the transmission to the community and risk of severe disease and mortality. The upscaling of voluntary counseling and testing, medical screening, and alternative methods like community‐based testing including HIV Self Testing for early detection needs to be implemented in the country.

The increase in uptake of HCT services by MARPs is a welcome finding; however, the relatively static trends call for the introduction of community outreach approaches. The critical gateway being provided to MARPs is an 'opportunity' for the expansion of the current service package.

Introduction Transgender persons experience health disparities and are marginalized in many societies worldwide. Even their numbers are unknown in many countries. We conducted the first effort to estimate the population size of transgender women (TGW) and transgender men (TGM) in Bhutan from November 2019 to January 2020. Methods Community-based surveys of TGW and TGM integrated several methods to estimate the size of hidden populations, including key informant mapping, wisdom-of-the-crowd, the service multiplier, and the unique object multiplier. Results of the several methods were synthesized using a Bayesian approach. Results Surveys included 34 TGW and 124 TGM. TGW was persons assigned to the male sex at birth and currently self-identified as “trans women” (91%), “women” (6%), or another gender (3%). TGM were persons assigned female sex at birth and self-identified as “trans men” (100%). Bayesian synthesis of the multiple methods estimated 84 TGW (credible interval 61–110) and 166 TGM (credible interval 124–211) in Bhutan. Conclusions Our study documented that TGW and TGM are part of Bhutanese society, with TGW constituting 0.03% of adult women and TGM 0.06% of adult men. Estimates can help advocate for resources and programs to address the health and well-being of these communities.