Background:
In Dhaka, adolescent girls involved in survival sex or early marriage face extreme SRH vulnerabilities. A 2016 national study estimated that over 100,000 women in Bangladesh engage in transactional sex—17.4% of whom are between 10–19 years. Over half had their sexual debut before age 15, with 44% reporting forced sex. Condom use is low (only 9.1% consistent use), and more than half reported STI symptoms. Legal age restrictions, social stigma, and provider insensitivity further limit access to essential services. Misconceptions and myths around menstruation, contraceptives, and STI prevention remain widespread.

About the project:
To address these gaps, the project developed a training module on menstrual hygiene, contraceptive use, and STI prevention, tailored for vulnerable adolescent girls. It also targeted service providers to improve their understanding of adolescent-specific SRH needs. Despite COVID-19 disruptions, the project delivered in-person orientation to 18 adolescent girls and 12 service providers from three DICs. The programme included pre- and post-training assessments, participatory learning methods, and baseline data collection. Outreach was guided by peer educators and informed by the Global Fund-supported HIV prevention framework in the city.

Results:
The intervention led to measurable improvements in SRH knowledge among both adolescents and providers. Post-training assessments showed increased understanding of menstruation management, modern contraception, and STI prevention. Although only one batch of adolescent participants was reached due to lockdowns, the pilot established a strong, scalable model. The project also developed a standardised training module now available for future roll-out.