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Vietnam/en: Difference between revisions

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In Vietnam, HIV testing began in 1988.<ref>[https://ethnomed.org/clinical/communicable-diseases/hiv-std-infection HIV/STD Infection in Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans]</ref> The first reported positive result came in 1990. Throughout the 1990s, HIV rates began to raise. Although infection rates in Vietnam were low overall, the female sex worker (FSW) and injection drug user (IDU) communities began to experience substantially increased infection rates. In 2002, a study of 400 female sex workers (FSW) in Hanoi found that 12% were HIV+ and 17% were infected syphilis, 3.8% with chlamydia and 6.3% with gonorrhea. The study concluded: "Vietnam is in a critical period. HIV is spreading rapidly among the risk groups, but the country can prevent a widespread epidemic if it acts quickly. The country must take the opportunity to act wisely and to make sound decisions. Strategies to reduce HIV in FSWs should include reduction of stigmatization, reduction of sharing drug paraphernalia, promotion of nonstigmatizing voluntary counseling and testing, and aggressive marketing and promotion of condoms. To achieve these goals, the government should adopt a multisectoral response that includes other government agencies, nongovernment organizations, and the vulnerable populations."<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908502/ HIV Infection and Risk Characteristics Among Female Sex Workers in Hanoi, Vietnam]</ref>
In Vietnam, HIV testing began in 1988.<ref>[https://ethnomed.org/clinical/communicable-diseases/hiv-std-infection HIV/STD Infection in Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans]</ref> The first reported positive result came in 1990. Throughout the 1990s, HIV rates began to raise. Although infection rates in Vietnam were low overall, the female sex worker (FSW) and injection drug user (IDU) communities began to experience substantially increased infection rates. In 2002, a study of 400 female sex workers (FSW) in Hanoi found that 12% were HIV+ and 17% were infected syphilis, 3.8% with chlamydia and 6.3% with gonorrhea. The study concluded: "Vietnam is in a critical period. HIV is spreading rapidly among the risk groups, but the country can prevent a widespread epidemic if it acts quickly. The country must take the opportunity to act wisely and to make sound decisions. Strategies to reduce HIV in FSWs should include reduction of stigmatization, reduction of sharing drug paraphernalia, promotion of nonstigmatizing voluntary counseling and testing, and aggressive marketing and promotion of condoms. To achieve these goals, the government should adopt a multisectoral response that includes other government agencies, nongovernment organizations, and the vulnerable populations."<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908502/ HIV Infection and Risk Characteristics Among Female Sex Workers in Hanoi, Vietnam]</ref>


For a long time, Vietnam (along with many other Southeast Asian countries) was known as place where you could buy virtually any medication or antibiotic over the counter. In Vietnam, this is no longer the case. Antibiotics and stronger medications are more strictly regulated at pharmacies. However, you will still find some pharmacies that are more lenient in their sales. Remember that some pharmacies focus on "herbal" or traditional medicine, meaning that they do not carry modern pharmaceutical products. Other pharmacies do carry modern products, but they may sell medications that are inauthentic (i.e. incorrect or sugar-pill like medicine) or expired. Try to visit pharmacies that you know or trust, or that someone who has experience in a Vietnamese city recommends. Overall, Vietnamese pharmacists speak very little English. So it is recommended to know that name of the medication you need in advance or to bring a translation device.
For people living with HIV in Vietnam, lack of government funding and social stigma are harsh realities. The majority of HIV/AIDS program funding (70%) comes from international organizations with only about 13% coming from the Vietnamese government. There is also a shortage of health workers with only 1300 in 2011. And there is also social stigma. "Social stigma against HIV/AIDS patients presents a major obstacle to contain HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS patients are treated unequally in the hospitals and denied employment. Children with HIV are not welcomed in school. In 2009, parents in Ho Chi Minh City forced officials to expel children with HIV.[9] Discrimination thus discourages people to go for screening or to take medication in fear of revealing their HIV status."<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV/AIDS_in_Vietnam HIV/AIDS in Vietnam]</ref>


Note: While this is an unverified, a Hanoi pharmacist has told us that yeast infections in Vietnam are fairly common due to the low-quality tap water. When women wash or douche themselves with the water, they may develop yeast infections. While this cannot be entirely avoided, it's something to remember.
Note: While this is an unverified, a Hanoi pharmacist has told us that yeast infections in Vietnam are fairly common due to the low-quality tap water. When women wash or douche themselves with the water, they may develop yeast infections. While this cannot be entirely avoided, it's something to remember.
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