Vietnam Unveils Condom Plan to Stem HIV Infection Among Young

Vietnam has unveiled a plan to stem escalating HIV infection rates by boosting condom usage among its sexually active younger population, an official said Tuesday. The campaign, which will commence in October, aims to sell 170 million condoms each year through 2005, said Phan Song, director of Vietnam's Family Planning Association.

Many Vietnamese men do not use condoms, primarily because of ignorance about HIV/AIDS/STDs. Embarrassment about buying contraceptives in Vietnam's deeply traditional society also remains a factor, sociologists say. The VFPA estimates that only one in 2,000 men use condoms when having sex with prostitutes. Prostitution is rife in Vietnam.

"This campaign not only aims to serve family planning issues but more importantly is to protect people against HIV/AIDS, given that 58.7 percent of HIV carriers in Vietnam are aged between 13 and 29," Song said. The government says more than 51,500 people are HIV-positive but the real figure is thought to be at least 200,000 because of the limited scope of testing and a reluctance to admit the full extent of the impact of the global pandemic.

Song said the VFPA had been allocated a target of selling 60 million condoms over the three-year period. The World Health Organization warned last month that the virus could spread rapidly among younger generations as a result of widespread ignorance over sexual health matters and condom use.

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