Depression and coping strategies among Vietnamese women living with HIV: A qualitative study.

Women living with HIV (WLWH) are more likely to suffer from depression than seronegative women and are also more likely to suffer from depression than men living with HIV. There is limited depression research with WLWH in Vietnam. Twenty in-depth interviews with WLWH were conducted to identify pathways leading to depression and coping strategies for depression. Participants were recruited from an antiretroviral treatment clinic in northern Vietnam. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed, translated, and analysed to identify key themes. All participants reported sudden loss of social support, debilitating depression, and suicidal ideation in the first six months after HIV diagnosis. While some were able to cope with their status after several months, others continued to struggle due to HIV-related stigma that was perceived as more isolating for WLWH than for men. Women who were able to effectively cope with depression found ways to re-establish connections to family and community. Interventions to improve mental wellbeing should link WLWH to mental health services immediately after diagnosis and address loss of support and stigma, as they contributed to the onset and persistence of depression after HIV diagnosis. Community-level HIV stigma reduction interventions may also help repair broken social bonds and foster new ones.

The use of technology to find sexual health information online among men who have sex with men in Hanoi, Vietnam, 2016.

In an era where mobile phones and computers are ubiquitous, technology-based interventions to reduce HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have great potential to reach high-risk groups, including men who have sex with men (MSM). This study aimed to examine technology usage to find sexual health information online among MSM in Hanoi, Vietnam. A cross-sectional study of 205 MSM in Hanoi was conducted from February to May 2016. Overall, 50.7% of participants reported having used a smartphone, computer, or tablet to find HIV/STI testing locations in the past year, and 75.1% reported having used such devices to find other HIV/STI information online. Unemployment (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR]: 1.13, 95%CI: 1.00-1.28) and having been tested for HIV (aPR: 1.27, 95%CI: 1.07-1.51) were significantly associated with using technology to find online sexual health information. MSM who had ever exchanged sex for money or drugs (aPR: 0.80; 95%CI: 0.68-0.94) were less likely to use technology to find sexual health information online. Technology is a promising platform for HIV/STI prevention programs among MSM, with the potential to reach different subgroups. Further efforts to develop technology-based interventions tailored to the needs of the MSM communities in Hanoi and to encourage MSM who were not currently seeking sexual health information and testing services online to do so are necessary.