Righting the Misperceptions of Men Having Sex with Men: A Pre-Requisite for Protecting and Understanding Gender Incongruence in Vietnam

Abstract

Protecting the rights of the lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, intersex, and queers (LGBTIQ) population requires, first and foremost, a proper understanding of their sexual orientation and gender identity. This study highlights a severe misunderstanding and lack of knowledge among health professionals in Vietnam with regard to the men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgenders. This study uses (i) a survey based on the convenience sampling method among 150 health workers that covered 61 questions and (ii) 12 in-depth interviews in two metropolitan centres in Vietnam, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city. Three main topics are explored: (i) the general knowledge of healthcare workers about MSM and transgenders; (ii) their knowledge about the sexual reproductive health and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) risks of MSM and transgenders; and (iii) their attitudes and behaviors towards MSM and transgenders. One of the notable findings is how prevalent the misperceptions are across the board, namely, in staff of both sexes, in both cities, at various kinds of medical facilities, at different work positions and educational levels. Half of the respondents consider transgenders to have a curable mental problem while 45% say MSM only have sex with males. Most remarkably, 12.7% state if they have any choice, they want nothing to do with MSM and transgenders. The study finds there is a considerable percentage of health professionals who lack knowledge about the diversity of sexual orientation, gender identity, and health issues related to the sexual minorities and gender non-conforming population. To improve the clinical process for serving these at-risk groups, the study suggests the continual education for the health workers needs to be added to their formal as well as in-job training.

Policy Response, Social Media and Science Journalism for the Sustainability of the Public Health System Amid the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Vietnam Lessons

“…Among countries affected by the pandemic, Vietnam, with its geographical proximity with China, faces a high likelihood of being severely affected by the spread of the disease. Moreover, although the Vietnamese healthcare system is under-resourced and has inherent weaknesses [13][14][15][16][17], especially concerning health insurance and patient welfare [17,18], the Vietnamese response to urgent situations has been commendable. It is likely that the Vietnamese government has learnt from its experiences in the past, especially in dealing with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003.…”

I Am a Nursing Student but Hate Nursing: The East Asian Perspectives between Social Expectation and Social Context

“…In short, this study serves as one of the first attempts to understand the relationship between filial piety and the decision-making of East Asian university students regarding their major selection and career development [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. Unlike with Westerners, the values of filial piety, collectivism, and sense of family union are essential elements for East Asian people [39]. Therefore, this study will help provide opportunities for readers, university administrators, international school staff, educators, and international student service professionals to establish effective counselling services to assist this particular group of students.…”

“…For example, the above participants wished to join botanical biology during her secondary school period. But due to the social context and social expectation [39], she needed to select the alternative (i.e., nursing) as her sixth choice on her application. One participant (P#36, Female, Interview) shared about enrolling in a nursing school instead of an electronic engineering program based on the gender-oriented bias and social expectation of gender-oriented occupations, saying, .…”

Promoting Sexual Health Knowledge through a Social Workers’ Mentorship Programme: A Study of Gay Young Adults

“…Effective sexual health education is a key element in any programme that aims to protect people from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) [ 1 ], human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) [ 2 ], and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) [ 3 ], regardless of the gender, age, or sexual orientation of the target audience [ 4 ]. Homosexuality is not an illness, and nor is it a symptom of neurological or biological malfunction [ 5 ].…”

“…Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youths are usually brought up in either heterosexual or single-parent families that are dominated by traditional anti-homosexual prejudices [ 7 ]. This is particularly true of East Asian families, communities, and societies [ 4 ].…”