[hivaids-twg] Vietnam news soliciting your opinion "who cares if i'm gay?"

[Bok, Ludo]

Dear all,

 

Last week, WHO's Regional Office for the Western Pacific, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, UNAIDS and the Hong Kong (China) Department of Health, organized a regional meeting on Men-having-Sex-with-Men (MSM) and HIV in the Asia-Pacific region. 

 

The Viet Nam news has been covering this important meeting and made male-to-male sex  the topic in the "your say" section in the news paper (see below). 

 

I would like to invite interested people to write their thoughts on this important topic to Viet Nam news. Please note the deadline for submission is this Thursday morning. 

 

Who cares if I'm gay?

The World Health Organisation estimates that 10 million men have sex with men (MSM) in Asia - the highest number for any region in the world.

But the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) reports that health care programmes and services reaches just 1 per cent of this population.

In HCM City the number practising MSM is estimated at 48,000 with 5,3 per cent HIV infected. The number in Haø Noäi is put at 26,000 and 9,4 per cent infected.

Less than 10 per cent of these men in both cities use or have access to the health services.

The low number means the danger of HIV/AIDS transmission is much greater.

But why is it happening? Is it the result of stigma and discrimination against gay men? And how could we change it?

We welcome your opinions via e-mail to: opinion.vietnamnews at gmail.com - or by fax to 84 (0) 43 933 2311. Letters can be sent to The Editor, Viet Nam News, 11 Tran Hung Dao Street, Ha Noi.

Replies to this week's question must be received by Thursday morning, February 26.

 

 

Ludo Bok

UNAIDS Partnerships Adviser

No. 24, Lane 11, Trinh Hoai Duc St.

Ha Noi, Viet Nam

Tel: (84-4) 3734 2824 Ext 108

Fax: (84-4) 3734 2825

E-mail: bokl at unaids.org <mailto:bokl at unaids.org>  

Skype: ludobok

Web-site: www.unaids.org.vn

 

<http://www.unaids.org/en/> 

 

 

 

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