[Vnbiz] HIV and sexually transmitted diseases on the rise in VN [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

[QuangAnh.Nguyen at dfat.gov.au]

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Have a nice weekend
Quang Anh
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All for information, and action???

The data in the news article below are worrying.  If the situation in Hung
Yen were the same across all provinces, there would be over 1.2 million
people living with HIV in Vietnam - perhaps there is??  We don't know
because the government's health surveillance system is quite weak.

A related point of concern is that many sexually transmitted diseases
greatly increase the risk of transmitting and contracting HIV (because of
breaks in the skin, and sores, which allow the virus to enter the
bloodstream).  Vietnam's urban youth (15 to 22 year olds) are exhibiting
very high rates of unprotected sex and sexually transmitted diseases - such
as chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis, etc.  This is not good news for
the future of Vietnam's children.

Vietnam 'officially' has 40,000 new cases per year; but based on sound
UN/NGO estimates, it's probably more like 80,000.  That's a lot of unhappy
people and families, who suddenly find themselves outcast, stigmatised,
economically unstable, unable to attend schools, unable to get a job,
unable to access good health services - but very able to transmit HIV to
others.  Have a read of this article:

"STD Infection Rate on the Rise in Hung Yen"
Nhan Dan (The People) Sep 9, p.5

"As many as 59% of 5,000 women in northern Hung Yen province having health
check-ups recently were infected with gynaecological diseases.

"Of those surveyed, 14% suffered from reproductive organ inflammation, 10%
from hepatitis B and 1.5% from HIV/AIDS.
Kim Dong district alone has detected 22 HIV/AIDS carriers ranging in age
from 13 to 19, including some AIDS developers.

"To reduce the increasing HIV infection rate, the provincial Family
Planning Society Association has also provided pre-marriage health
check-ups and reproductive consultancy to local juveniles and young
people."