Sexual Health Promotion Intervention for Male Sex Workers in Vietnam Increases Knowledge of STI/HIV Transmission Risk

Abstract

Background: HIV prevalence in urban populations of Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) in Vietnam has increased sharply in recent years. Owing to the confluence of both complex sexual partnering and high risk sexual practices, Male Sex Workers (MSW) are at especially high risk for both acquisition and transmission of HIV and other STIs.

Righting the Misperceptions of Men Having Sex with Men: A Pre-Requisite for Protecting and Understanding Gender Incongruence in Vietnam

“…On these grounds, it is important to be aware of this gap of knowledge in order to devise proper solutions and medical services for these groups as well as the gender incongruence population at large. This study contributes to the small body of research on transgender people’s health care in Vietnam [29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37] by explaining the shortcomings of Vietnamese healthcare professionals in this matter. It invites other low- and middle-income countries to join the discussion on better ways to respond to the MSM and transgender communities.…”

“…MSM and transgender people in Vietnam face the same unfortunate plight as their international peers—under-represented, stigmatized, at high risks of HIV/STIs, and lacking access to proper healthcare [29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37]. The increased HIV infection among the MSM in Vietnam, including the male sex workers, is attributed to the high numbers of sexual partners, high rates of unsafe sex, and inconsistent condom use [32,38,39,40].…”

“…Additionally, the syndemic condition of psychosocial factors, such as depression and substance use, may disproportionately burden male sex workers and increase their HIV risk [41,42]. A closer look at the data shows that the HIV prevalence rate among this group has risen so rapidly, from 3.7% initially to 16% in 2017, that it is considered at the highest risk of HIV transmission in the country [29]. In particular, the rate of HIV transmission among MSM nearly doubled from 9.4% in 2006 to 17.4% in 2009 in the capital city of Hanoi, while that in the southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City rose even faster—from 5.3% to 16.7% during the same period [43].…”

An exploratory assessment of the preference for eHealth interventions to prevent HIV and sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men in Hanoi, Vietnam

“…Nonetheless, the rate of HIV/STI testing services utilization in MSM in Vietnam was low across studies (19.2%–23.5%) [ 23 , 24 ]. Various face-to-face behavioral interventions have been developed among MSM to diminish the burden of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) [ 25 – 28 ]. However, these interventions faced challenges in maintaining their sustainability such as scarcity of resources, the stigma around homosexuality practices, limited MSM-advocacy and community organizations and insufficient MSM-oriented health professionals [ 29 – 31 ], requiring innovative solutions to address these issues.…”

The Dark Side of Female HIV Patient Care: Sexual and Reproductive Health Risks in Pre- and Post-Clinical Treatments

“…Some notable findings include: safe sexual behaviors being strongly associated with higher rates of HIV testing [ 49 ]; and, female HIV patients with middle-income levels and opioid use are less willing to pay for a voluntary counselling and testing service, compared to those with university-level education [ 52 ]. The most recent studies on sexual health promotion in Vietnam appear to focus more on the population of male sex workers or men who have sex with men [ 40 , 53 , 54 , 55 ]. This seems to leave a gap for understanding the sexual and reproductive health of the Vietnamese female population affected by HIV.…”