Vietnam May Get Its First Sex Education Web Site

A Web site addressing the taboo topic of reproductive health could soon be launched in Vietnam, Dr. Khuat Thu Hong, deputy director of the Hanoi-based Institute for Social Development Studies, said on Thursday.

"Both young people and married couples still lack a lot of information about sexual health issues in Vietnam," said Hong. "Compared to neighboring countries like Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, our country is probably in a worse situation because we are more closed."

"Our research has found many Vietnamese women do not dare to suggest condom use because it suggests a lack of trust rather than true love," Hong said. "Vietnamese girls are traditionally supposed to be pure and naïve and innocent, so many of them feel they can't talk about sexual issues because it suggests they are already experienced."

The Web site would feature basic information, images and a question-and-answer forum addressing topics not covered by school curricula, said Hong. People with questions deemed too explicit would be referred to "other sources" or the institute's library.

The institute aims to launch the site by December, pending the government's approval, said Hong. The Ministry of Culture and Information and the ruling Communist Party's Central Committee on Ideology and Culture had initial positive responses to the proposed site. "We did talk with some of them about our intention and they welcomed it and said it is very useful," she said.

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