title: Sexual stigma, sexual behaviors, and abstinence among Vietnamese adolescents: implications for risk and protective behaviors for HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and unwanted pregnancy.
abstract: As rates of HIV increase in Vietnam, there is a need for data on social relations and sexual risk and protective behaviors among Vietnamese adolescents in a context of rapid social and economic changes. The authors report results from qualitative interviews with 159 Vietnamese adolescents living in Hanoi, Nha Trang City, and Ninh Hoa District and a survey of 886 adolescents in these same three sites. In the qualitative interviews, youths report a strong adherence to ideals and values regarding abstinence outside of marriage. Youths reported low rates of engagement in vaginal, anal, and/or oral sex with a significant difference in reported behaviors between males (29/469, 6.2%) and females (7/416, 1.7%; p = .000). A total of 15 of 32 (46.9%) sexually active youths reported rarely or never using condoms. Females had significantly higher scores for perceived sexual stigma than males (t = -10.22 [95% confidence interval (CI); -3.72 to -2.52; p = .000) whereas males scored significantly lower than females on a scale of perceived self-efficacy for abstinence (t = 5.31 [95% CI; .27 to .59]; p = .000). The stigmatization of sexual relations outside of marriage particularly for young women reinforces abstinence; however, these same values decrease adolescents' ability to obtain accurate information about sexuality and HIV and sexually transmitted infections and engage in safer sex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Linda M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Kaljee
authors.forename: Mackenzie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riel
authors.forename: Porntip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lerdboon
authors.forename: Le Huu
authors.initials: le H
authors.lastname: Tho
authors.forename: Le Thi Kim
authors.initials: le TK
authors.lastname: Thoa
authors.forename: Truong Tan
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Minh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011275:Pregnancy, Unwanted / Q000208:ethnology; D011582:Psychological Theory; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012746:Sexual Abstinence / Q000208:ethnology; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012922:Social Change; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology