Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The aim of this study was to explore sexual relationship patterns and experiences among MSM in Hanoi, to inform HIV preventive efforts. Participants were aged between 19 and 48 years and came from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English.
Content analysis was used. Almost all men in the study saw their same-sex attraction as part of their "nature". Many informants had secret but rich social lives within the MSM social circles in Hanoi. However, poor men had difficulties connecting to these networks. Lifetime sexual partner numbers ranged from one to Seven participants had at some point in their lives been in relationships lasting from one to four years.
For several men, relationships were not primarily centered on romantic feelings but instead intimately connected to economic and practical dependence. Sexual relationships varied greatly in terms of emotional attachment, commitment, trust, relationship ideals, sexual satisfaction and exchange of money or gifts.
Faithfulness was highly valued but largely seen as unobtainable. Several informants felt strong family pressure to marry a woman and have children. This study contextualizes sexual relationships among MSM in Hanoi and highlights the extent to which HIV prevention activities need to not only consider HIV prevention in the context of casual sexual encounters but also how to adequately target preventive efforts that can reach MSM in relationships.
These high rates of HIV infection have their proximate cause in individual risk behaviors, such as unprotected anal sex and, for a minority of MSM, also injection drug use [ 5 ]. These risk factors have been the focus of much research [ 6 - 8 ]. However in order to correctly target preventive measures it is crucial to also acquire a contextualized understanding of the nature of sexual relationships in which these high-risk behaviors occur.
