and gay people could openly socialize in safe places. This situation changed after the Taliban takeover of the country in August 2021; CNN began corresponding with a 32-year-old gay man Christian Hazara who (as of October 2021) was hiding in a house's basement in Kabul with his younger brother to avoid capture by the Taliban. CNN confirmed the man's identity through human rights activists. The man, whom CNN named "Ahmed" for his safety, was seeking ways to escape the country. A survey revealed that the lives of LGBT people in Afghanistan have “dramatically worsened” under Taliban rule. The report by Human Rights Watch recorded nearly 60 cases of targeted violence against LGBT people, which highlighted cases of violence, gang-rape and death threats. Homosexual practices with boys Militia members generally do not have access to women, so boys are sometimes kidnapped to be humiliated and raped by adult men. Other boys become prostitutes for adult men, regardless of their sexual orientation. These men involved are sometimes called bacha bazi in Persian and seem to flourish in the big cities of Afghanistan, possibly due to poverty and the strict social taboos surrounding interaction between men and women. A law has been enacted prohibiting Afghan soldiers from having their "ashna" live with them. After the Taliban came to power in 1996, bacha bazi was banned along with homosexuality, both carrying the death penalty. The young victims were often charged rather than the perpetrators. In 2007, reports stated that the practice of bacha bazi is still prevalent in parts of northern Afghanistan. This practice involves teenage boys being dressed in women's clothing and made to participate in dance competitions and engage in sexual acts. US-backed Northern Alliance warlords have been notorious for kidnapping trafficking and raping young boys ever since the fall of the Taliban regime, using the pretext of bacha bazi, even though they bear little resemblance to the historical practice. Neither the U.S. Department of Defense nor the Afghan government took action against these crimes, despite being aware of these practices. While President Hamid Karzai signed an agreement to ban bacha bazi, it was rarely enforced and police officers were reportedly complicit in related crimes. HIV-AIDS Prior to 2003, little or no HIV-AIDS education or treatment existed. As of 2008, the official number of people living with HIV-AIDS is 504, although the actual number is suspected of being higher, possibly in the