The group with the highest infection rate is men who have sex with men.
According to the Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control - Ministry of Health, statistics show that in the first 9 months of 2024, the country recorded 11,421 new cases of HIV positive detection, 1,263 deaths. Of the newly detected HIV cases from the beginning of the year to date, 82.9% are men, mainly aged 15 - 29 (40%) and 30 - 39 (27.3%), the group with the highest proportion is men who have sex with men (42.2%).
Speaking to Lao Dong reporter, Associate Professor, Dr. Phan Thi Thu Huong - Director of the Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control said: The HIV/AIDS epidemic situation is still complicated and has clearly changed in form over the years. The form of HIV infection in the period from 2010 to now has clearly changed, among newly discovered HIV-infected people, the rate of people infected with HIV through blood decreased from 47.5% in 2010 to 6.5% in September 2024; the rate of people infected with HIV through sex became the main transmission route when increasing from 47.5% in 2010 to 70.8% in September 2024.
“Previously, the disease was mainly transmitted through blood in drug addicts and injectors, but now it is mainly transmitted through sexual contact in homosexual men or transgender people. In particular, the transmission is showing signs of rejuvenation in these groups,” said Associate Professor, Dr. Phan Thi Thu Huong.
Evidence is that the HIV prevalence rate among MSM has tended to increase rapidly in recent times (from 7.4% in 2016 to 12.5% in 2022). Particularly in the young age group, if previously, infections were mainly in young people, those with economic conditions, now they have been recorded in younger groups, even in groups of students; the number of infections in the age group of 15 - 29 accounts for nearly 40% of the total number of HIV infections in recent times.
New challenges constantly emerge
One of the worrying points is that the rate of HIV infection is getting younger. People infected with HIV in the 16-29 age group increased from 37.2% in 2019 to 48.7% in 2022.
In addition, the HIV epidemic is mainly detected among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people (GM) and tends to continue to increase rapidly in these groups.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Tam, Head of the HIV Infection Prevention Department, Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, said: The use of stimulant drugs is considered one of the causes of the rapid increase in HIV infections among MSM.
"The results of the study of high-risk customers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City show that 90% of the surveyed subjects have used substances during sexual relations. Of those substances, synthetic drugs account for 58%.
When using this substance, the rate of MSM having unsafe sex is very high.
"That is one of the reasons why the number of HIV infections in the MSM community has increased rapidly in recent years," said Ms. Tam.
Furthermore, with the target being secondary and high school students, there are still gaps in propaganda and outreach work, while HIV is strongly attacking young people.
As of June 2024, nationwide, there were 181,558 people infected with HIV being treated with ARVs, including 2,466 children under 15 years old, at more than 500 medical facilities in 63 provinces and cities. The number of people receiving ARVs through health insurance reached 119,055 people, accounting for over 66%.
In preventing HIV in MSM, the health sector has implemented flexible and appropriate interventions such as: Diversifying testing services, PrEP treatment prevention, friendly services (one destination, many services), etc. Currently, Vietnam has synchronously and effectively deployed many PrEP delivery models in 29 provinces and cities, with more than 200 service providers. During the period 2020 - 2024, the country recorded 111,159 people using PrEP at least once, with the treatment retention rate of 3 months or more reaching more than 70%.
