A 30-minute film based on real people who have HIV and facediscrimination was screened at the Adora Premium Wedding Reception andConvention Centre in Ho Chi Minh City on April 23, aiming to raisepublic awareness about discrimination against HIV carriers.
Thefilm titled Coming Home is about a man named An who meets and falls inlove with Lam at a birthday party. They have sex and later it isrevealed via lab tests that An has HIV. Lam, who was the person whotransmitted the virus, abandons An. Worse, his family also shunned him.
NguyenAnh Phong, a representative of Vietnam Network of People Living withHIV/AIDS in southern region (VNP+), said that VNP+ made the film incooperation with local actors and producers to raise public awarenessabout discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS, especiallyhigh-risk groups including those in the LGBT community.
Phong said the LGBT community with HIV/AIDS suffers from double discrimination because of their gender and the disease.
Theirfamilies often ignore them, and as a result, they hide the disease andrefuse ARV treatment because they are afraid of being revealed, he said.
Lastyear, a 27-year-old MSM (Men having sex with Men) who had HIV diedbecause he refused treatment at a nearby community support andcounselling centre, afraid that his family and friends would see himvisiting the centre.
Benny Nguyen (his nickname), head of SongThat (True Live) Group, which provides counselling on HIV preventivemethods and treatment for MSM in the city, said that as MSM, the public,especially family members, abandon or shun them.
"It is moredifficult when they are infected with HIV. There is nowhere for them togo. They need sympathy and encouragement from their family," he added.
Family is needed for moral support so they will follow their treatment regimen, he said.
Asof September 30 last year, there were more than 224,000 people with HIVin the country, including more than 66,900 AIDS patients. MSM is one ofthe high-risk groups vulnerable to HIV infection, according to theMinistry of Health.
The film is part of VNP+'s Dai Bang Do (RedRibbon) events, which call for the elimination of discrimination againstpeople with HIV/AIDS.
It also aims to honour people who have made silent contributions to HIV/AIDS prevention in the country.
TheRed Ribbon events are sponsored by the Vietnam Administration ofHIV/AIDS Control and the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.-VNA
Thefilm titled Coming Home is about a man named An who meets and falls inlove with Lam at a birthday party. They have sex and later it isrevealed via lab tests that An has HIV. Lam, who was the person whotransmitted the virus, abandons An. Worse, his family also shunned him.
NguyenAnh Phong, a representative of Vietnam Network of People Living withHIV/AIDS in southern region (VNP+), said that VNP+ made the film incooperation with local actors and producers to raise public awarenessabout discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS, especiallyhigh-risk groups including those in the LGBT community.
Phong said the LGBT community with HIV/AIDS suffers from double discrimination because of their gender and the disease.
Theirfamilies often ignore them, and as a result, they hide the disease andrefuse ARV treatment because they are afraid of being revealed, he said.
Lastyear, a 27-year-old MSM (Men having sex with Men) who had HIV diedbecause he refused treatment at a nearby community support andcounselling centre, afraid that his family and friends would see himvisiting the centre.
Benny Nguyen (his nickname), head of SongThat (True Live) Group, which provides counselling on HIV preventivemethods and treatment for MSM in the city, said that as MSM, the public,especially family members, abandon or shun them.
"It is moredifficult when they are infected with HIV. There is nowhere for them togo. They need sympathy and encouragement from their family," he added.
Family is needed for moral support so they will follow their treatment regimen, he said.
Asof September 30 last year, there were more than 224,000 people with HIVin the country, including more than 66,900 AIDS patients. MSM is one ofthe high-risk groups vulnerable to HIV infection, according to theMinistry of Health.
The film is part of VNP+'s Dai Bang Do (RedRibbon) events, which call for the elimination of discrimination againstpeople with HIV/AIDS.
It also aims to honour people who have made silent contributions to HIV/AIDS prevention in the country.
TheRed Ribbon events are sponsored by the Vietnam Administration ofHIV/AIDS Control and the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.-VNA
