BMC Public Health
Background: Heroin use continues to drive HIV transmission in Vietnam, but methamphetamine and alcohol use are growing rapidly and, as in other countries, polysubstance use is widespread. The objective of this study was to understand the interplay between heroin, methamphetamine, and alcohol use among people with opioid use disorder (OUD) and HIV in Vietnam. Methods: We conducted 44 in-depth, face-to-face qualitative interviews with people with OUD and HIV who participated in the BRAVO trial of buprenorphine versus methadone in five Vietnam HIV clinics. Interviews probed participants’ experiences of heroin, methamphetamine, and alcohol use and their interplay with HIV/OUD treatment. Interviews were professionally transcribed and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Results: Of 44 participants interviewed 42 were male, on average 38.8 years of age, with 30 reporting a history of methamphetamine use and 33 reporting a history of alcohol use. Several themes emerged: 1) Methamphetamine and alcohol were perceived to have lower addiction potential than heroin 2) Social settings were key facilitators of alcohol and methamphetamine use 3) Some participants, but not all, used methamphetamine to help quit heroin 4) Consuming alcohol blunted the effects of heroin, while paradoxically serving as a catalyst for heroin use 5) Use of methamphetamine was perceived by many participants to be incompatible with treatment for HIV. Conclusions: Participant experiences reflected a significant impact of polysubstance use on treatment of HIV and OUD. Patterns of polysubstance use are subject to common preconceptions of alcohol and methamphetamine as having a low addictive potential, and these substances are deeply enmeshed in the social life of many people with OUD in Vietnam. Interventions to address complex social norms and potential harms of polysubstance use are urgently needed as the population of people receiving medication for OUD (MOUD) increases in Vietnam and globally
Tạp chí Y học dự phòng
Community - based organizations (CBO) have implemented various activities and have contributed to the successful responses to HIV/AIDS epidemic in Vietnam. However, in the context of donor phase-out, little information of current CBO’s activities has been published. This study aims to describe the diversity of CBO’s activities and to assess factors associated with implementing activities. A survey of CBO established before October 2014 and still operated after June 2014 was conducted from November 2014 to June 2015 in Vietnam. Their characteristics and participation in implementing any activities, related or not related to HIV were collected. Majority of 277 CBOs were established 2 to 10 years ago (83%) and were the group of people living with HIV (45%). Ten percent of them had legal status but most of them had leadership and an organization goal. Among 30 activities enlisted, Vietnamese CBOs provided approximately 14 activities on average. Disseminate HIV-related knowledge, outreach most at risk-people and support people to do HIV testing are three most popular activities implemented by Vietnamese CBOs. On the contrary, support for elderly/ homeless people, non-profit activities and other relevant activities are least implemented. A multiple linear regression model found six factors associated with increased activities: Older establishment, having leadership, having legal status, experienced CBO founders, having specific organization goal, and the number of partners. Vietnamese CBOs are implementing diverse activities in terms of types and numbers, remaining the key actor in HIV/AIDS prevention. Future interventions and investment in CBO are necessary to end the epidemic
Tạp chí nghiên cứu Y học
This cross-sectional study was conducted nationwide with a sample size of 9.781 participants in order to describe the prevalence of depression and anxiety among Vietnamese youth (15-24 years old) during a COVID-19 outbreak and associated factors. The 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale was used in this study. Results showed that 10% of the Vietnamese youth exhibited mild to extremely severe depression and 15.6% reported mild to extremely severe anxiety. Particularly, 1% of participants reported having severe or extremely severe symptoms of depression and 2.6% having severe or extremely severe symptoms of anxiety. Being christian or of other marital status or living in urban areas or having near poor or poor household income were all associated with increased depression among young people. Meanwhile, youth who were female, of ethnic minorities, Buddhist, Christian, or single, lived in urban areas, had only an elementary education, or had near low or low household income reported more anxiety symptoms. Findings from this study call for appropriate interventions to improve the mental health of the young population, especially in the context of COVID-19 pandemic
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