<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="State"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="place"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="country-region"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="PlaceType"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="PlaceName"/>
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Garamond;
panose-1:2 2 4 4 3 3 1 1 8 3;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:black;}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Garamond;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
span.EmailStyle21
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=4 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Verdana'>http://vietnamnews.vnanet.vn/showarticle.php?num=01SAY270209<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><font
size=4 color=red face=Verdana><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Verdana;
color:red;font-weight:bold'>Your say</span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>(27-02-2009)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><font
size=5 color="#003700" face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:18.0pt;
color:#003700;font-weight:bold'>Joint effort needed to curb prejudice,
encourage men to use social services</span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:navy'>Last week we asked if readers think discrimination and stigma are
reasons why only 10 per cent of MSM (men who have sex with men) in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Viet Nam</st1:place></st1:country-region>
use public health services. We also asked what readers think should be
done to change that. These are some of the answers we received.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><font
size=3 color=maroon face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:maroon;font-weight:bold'>Nguyen Chung Tai, Ha Noi HIV carrier</span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I’m not
surprised by these numbers because the real numbers are always more than those
published in reports by the UN or other organisations.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>It is
understandable that many gay men find it hard to come out, especially those who
are infected with HIV. Other people still keep their conservative thinking
toward gay people, mostly older generations.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Another problem,
in my opinion, is the "easy" lifestyle of a great part of the gay
community. Their habit of not being faithful to one partner but changing
partners regularly plays an important role in spreading HIV/AIDS in the MSM
community particularly and in society in general.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>How can we change
that? I think this depends on both sides. On the one hand, the gay community
should recognise that they need to maintain a healthier lifestyle. On the other
hand, society needs to change their attitude towards gay people, stop looking
at them with disgust.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Ministry and
departments of Health need to create and apply more practical programmes to
promote HIV/AIDS prevention. Current efforst are too short-term and unrealistic.
At the same time, our education system needs to insert sex education into
teaching programmes for secondary school and above, because our students are no
longer as innocent as before living in the internet era. Schools need to play
an important role in teaching students how to live a healthy and pratical
lifestyle and families need to start talking about sex to their children.
Internet is a great school for the kids, but letting them surf the internet by
themselves is dangerous.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><font
size=3 color=maroon face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:maroon;font-weight:bold'>Nguyen Thanh My Actionaid Brussels <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Belgium</st1:place></st1:country-region></span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>In my opinion, gay
people, both women and men, rarely use health services because they are afraid
of the discrimination from their families and society.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>There are many
people who think homosexuality is a sickness. As a result, it’s very
difficult for the homosexuals to lead a normal life.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The more they hide
themselves, the less they use social services.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>To improve this, I
think we need to have a wide and appropriate information and education
programme so that MSM understand their rights and can receive the necessary
information about the social services available to them. This programme should
also target greater public awareness to encourage sympathy and understanding
that will hopefully encourage the gay community to be more open and more
willing to use social services.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>As for the health
service, it should offer comfortable and sensitive access. High confidentiality
is very important.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><font
size=3 color=maroon face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:maroon;font-weight:bold'>Dinh Thai Son, Ha Noi FHI <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Viet Nam</st1:place></st1:country-region></span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>As a supervisor
and manager to HIV prevention activities for the MSM community in some big
cities in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Viet Nam</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
I realise that the greatest obstacle to encouraging MSM from using health
services is discrimination. We need to focus on educating and training people
working in these services about the mentality and sensitivity of the people
they are dealing with.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>It takes time to
change public opinion, so social administration agencies should pay more
attention to leading people’s positive awareness of MSM, as well as
supporting strong projects and programmes working on HIV prevention and
intervention for this group of people.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><font
size=3 color=maroon face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:maroon;font-weight:bold'>Tom Miller, <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State></span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>It would be wise
for the Government and society to "bite the bullet" since this is not
"their" problem, it is "our" problem. Excluding the gay
community from our thinking and action excludes people we know and love, and
the sooner we can accept "gayness" as a reality and a legitimate part
of our society and not a threat, the sooner the healing – physical and
psychological – will occur. This is asking many to make a big step since
all their lives the idea of homosexuality has been reinforced as evil. American
writer and social critic Mark Twain once said "Travel is fatal to
prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." The same can be said about
getting to know the gay community.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><font
size=3 color=maroon face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:maroon;font-weight:bold'>Joshua Riedel, Ha Noi</span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>In addition to
overcoming general discrimination against gays in Ha Noi and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">HCM</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">City</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>,
it seems to me that a more immediate and feasible issue to confront and
overcome is improving the channels of communication within the gay community. Even
if access to health services is limited in Viet Nam due, in part, to the
general population’s discrimination against gay men, the 10 per cent of
gay men who do take advantage of the health services offered should share their
information with the other 90 per cent of men who do not use those services,
helping to introduce them to gay-friendly clinics and doctors. With the
assistance and encouragement of others within the gay community, perhaps men
who do not currently think they have access to health services would come to
discover that it is possible to stay healthy and gay in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Viet Nam</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><font
size=3 color=maroon face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:maroon;font-weight:bold'>Dr Nick Medland, Viet Nam Chair MSM Subcommittee
HIV/AIDS Technical Working Group</span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Evidence from
around the world, and increasingly from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Viet Nam</st1:place></st1:country-region>, suggests that MSM feel stigmatised
and discriminated against in daily life and when coming into contact with
services and with other authorities. Many go through life trying to avoid such
contact and actively try to stay hidden. Reaching out with information,
education, support, assistance and health care is that much more difficult.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>We know well how
MSM can protect themselves and their partners from HIV infection: to be well
informed about condom use and HIV prevention; to feel confident and strong
enough in their own hearts to want to protect themselves; to be able to go to a
health service in a supportive and safe environment for an HIV test from time
to time; to receive the support and friendship of their peers.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Viet Nam</span></font></st1:place></st1:country-region>
has been doing amazing work in a short period of time to help prevent the rapid
spread of HIV infection that we have seen in neighbouring countries. However,
this is just a beginning and an enormous amount is yet to be done. We support
and applaud the work of the government in this.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>There are a lot of
inspiring individuals and groups doing great work in MSM communities. We need
to be open in our support for them. The press and our leaders need to give the
message that we will take care of every member of our society, that it’s
OK to be gay. Then, and only then, will we have a chance to reduce the threat
that the HIV epidemic poses to each and every one of us.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><font
size=3 color=maroon face="Times New Roman"><span lang=FR style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:maroon;font-weight:bold'>Nathalie Miller, Ha Noi Entrepreneurs du Monde,
Country Director</span></font></b><span lang=FR><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I’m not sure
if MSM’s lack of access to HIV/AIDS health service is reflective of
homophobia. The driving force of spreading HIV/AIDS in <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Viet Nam</st1:country-region> is intravenous drug use (IDU); although
the liaison between HIV/AIDS and drug use has diminished in recent years in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Viet Nam</st1:place></st1:country-region>, the
link is irrefutable. The lack of access to HIV/AIDS health services that you
noted with MSM populations is also prevalent among IDU populations who are not,
of course, all men having sex with men – so I would hesitate to argue
that the reason behind this phenomenon is homophobia.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>That said, there
is definitely ongoing stigma in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Viet
Nam</st1:place></st1:country-region> against gay men – and perhaps more
so against gay women, a group that you didn’t include in your question.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>In <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Viet Nam</st1:place></st1:country-region>, where
kinship is of utmost importance and pressure lies on children to continue the
family line, discrimination against gay people might also center around this
idea that being gay means a departure from the "family" as it is
normally understood. Yet gay men and women have always been parents and will
continue to be parents, which is important for Vietnamese people to realise.
— VNS<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>