and for themselves. This is especially true in Nepal, which is ranked as one of the countries with the lowest human development indicators in the world, ranked 143 in the United Nations Human Development Index, with an HDI of 0.458. Because sex workers usually belong to the lower castes of the caste system within Nepal (a survey conducted by UN Nepal, showed that the majority of the sex workers were from Tamangs and Dalits), India, and other Southeast Asian countries, they feel as though sex work is the only opportunity that they truly have to better their lives and that of their families. The Nepalese caste system makes it very difficult for people of any class to rise up to a higher class. There have been rare instances in which members of a specific class have risen, and even in these cases, the members only rise within their own caste (see also Nepalese caste system). Due to this social trap, sex work is seen as a way to escape from the social organization. Sex work can allow those in lower castes to provide for their family in a different way. In the short-term, going into the sex industry would seem like a logical solution, since the money that many of these sex workers make can go towards the improvement of their families. Long-term consequences Sex workers are exposed to a variety of serious risks, including: sexually transmitted diseases, a decrease in security, and a loss of human rights. Sexually transmitted diseases Nepal faces increasing HIV prevalence among most at-risk populations (MARPs) such as sex workers, injecting drug users (IDUs), men who have sex with men (MSM), and migrants. Since 1988, when the first case of HIV/AIDS in Nepal was reported, more than 1,750 cases of AIDS and over 11,000 cases of HIV infection were officially reported. Since Nepal is limited in terms of its public health surveillance system, the actual number of infections throughout the country is said to be more. UNAIDS estimates that approximately 30,000 people were living with HIV in 2018. HIV prevalence amongst sex workers was estimated to be 4.2%, compared to 0.1% for the general population Compromised security The entry of women into sex work can sometimes take an unexpected turn. Although some women go into the sex industry voluntarily, they can end up being taken into the larger sex trafficking scene to India and surrounding