Hanoi, June 20th, 2006
Less than 1 in 100 men and women in Hai Phong Province carry the virus that causes AIDS, according to the newly released Vietnam Population and AIDS Survey (VPAIS). Among the almost 1,700 men and women in Hai Phong who voluntarily gave blood samples, just 2 women and 7 men were found to be infected with HIV. The Hai Phong prevalence rate of 0.5 percent is very similar to other studies in Vietnam showing HIV prevalence of 0.3% in Thai Binh Province and 0.7% in Ho Chi Minh City. The VPAIS did HIV testing only in Hai Phong but collected data on knowledge, attitudes, and practices throughout Vietnam.
The VPAIS results confirm that HIV infection has not yet become a generalized epidemic in Vietnam.
The survey findings on sexual practices in Vietnam provide some clues to the low rates of HIV. Very few Vietnamese report sexual activity outside of marriage. Only 5 percent of unmarried men and less than one percent of unmarried women said they had been sexually active in the 12 months before the survey. In addition, among all sexually active adults, none of the interviewed women and only one percent of men reported having multiple sexual partners in the previous year. Among these men who report having multiple partners, over 70 percent of said they used a condom the last time they had higher risk sex.
Along with these positive findings, the VPAIS also points to some serious challenges for HIV prevention and treatment programs. Sexually transmitted infections (STI) which can increase the risk of HIV transmission are common among women. Overall 16 percent of women reported having an STI or symptoms. Rates were much lower in men, however.
More than 50 percent of men and women do not know about preventing maternal to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. While knowledge of HIV and AIDS is universal, less than one-half of men and women know that breastfeeding can transmit HIV and even fewer, just 15 percent of men and women, know that drugs are available to prevent mother-to-child transmission. Thus it is not surprising that only 6 percent of women who have given birth in the 2 years before the survey, had received both HIV counseling and testing at antenatal care clinics.
HIV testing among men and women is equally rare. Overall, only 5 percent of men and 5 percent of women said they had ever gotten an HIV test and also received the results. Twice as many urban dwellers have been tested for HIV men and women living in rural areas.
The VPAIS survey included interviews with 7,369 women and 6,788 men age 15-49 from all areas of Vietnam. HIV testing was carried out only in Hai Phong Province. Data were collected from September to December 2005. The survey was implemented by the General Statistics Office and the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology. ORC Macro provided technical assistance through the MEASURE DHS project. Financial support was provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Global AIDS Control Program (CDC/GAP). The full report is available for download at www.nso.gov.vn and at www.measuredhs.com.