In Asia, HIV is mainly transmitted by heterosexual intercourse or from sharing injecting equipment during drug use. Sex between men is not specifically prohibited under Vietnamese law, but is regarded by the authorities as a social evil. We lived in Vietnam, working with Medecins Sans Frontiers, in the provincial cities of Vinh and Nina Trang from 1992 to 1996. The City of Nina Trang Nina Trang is a town of 300,000 people on the coast of southern Vietnam. Industries include fishing and tourism.
Many people go to the beach after dark for sex, with either regular or casual partners.
Vietnamese people we met in Nina Trang say the beach has been popular for this purpose for many years. The busiest time is between 3 am and 5 am. He asked MSF to help him with peer education work on the beach. We provided him with information and paid his expenses. Because he had a full-time job during the day, he chose to work on an area of beach where men went between 8 pm and 11 pm, although there was less activity than in other areas.