TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW YOU BECAME INVOLVED WITH MARIE STOPES INTERNATIONAL?
I was born in Hanoi as the youngest child in my family before the American War and experienced a lot of hardship during my childhood. My parents believed that education was the only way to have a better life, especially for girls. At the beginning of my career, I spent 2 years in Iraq working on a large construction project from 1989 to 1990 and when I returned to Vietnam, I headed an Australian investment company from 1990 to 1998. I joined Marie Stopes International in Vietnam (MSV) in August 1998 in the role of Country Director. I was attracted to MSI’s social business model and its mission to ensure the fundamental right to have children by choice and not by chance.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MYTHS AROUND WOMEN’S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH THAT ARE STILL BELIEVED TODAY?
Even though there are various ways to access information about modern contraceptives nowadays, myths that keep women from using modern, safe and effective contraceptive methods still exist. Many young women believe that using oral contraceptive pills for an extended period can cause breast and cervical cancers or that contraceptive implants can cause infertility. This calls for an awareness movement on women’s health issues that communicates information such as what causes reproductive tract infection/sexually transmitted diseases and the consequences if they remain untreated, what can cause infertility and sub-fertility, how to identify pre-menopause and menopause symptoms and seek expert advice. This kind of knowledge is still limited amongst women, especially those who live in rural areas.
WHAT ARE THE THREE MAJOR AREAS OF REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CONCERNS?
The three major areas of concern in reproductive health in Vietnam are: a high rate of abortion, increasing incidence of infertility and sub-fertility, and unequal access to reproductive health education and services for certain population groups in different geographical regions. According to WHO, Vietnam is one of the top five countries with the highest caseload of abortions in the world. Nearly 30% of abortions occur amongst young people under the age of 20. Even though the government’s statistics show a high rate of contraceptive usage amongst women in general, the proportion of unmet needs is the highest amongst young people at 34%. Also, the age of first sexual intercourse is as low as 14 years old nowadays. Sexual education in school is considered not useful and is vague at best. Parents still feel reluctant and are not confident to talk to their kids about sex and how to prevent unwanted pregnancies. The most popular way of sharing information about contraceptives and safe sex for adolescents is through conversations amongst peer groups. The second area of concern in reproductive health is the increasing incidence of infertility. On average, 700,000 to 1 million couples seek infertility and subfertility treatment every year. This has become a huge economic burden for couples and their families and puts a great deal of pressure on the health system in general. The main causes of infertility include exposure to harmful chemicals, airpollution and an unhealthy lifestyle. Women who undergo multiple abortions also have a higher risk of becoming infertile. And lastly, an area that needs to be improved in reproductive health is the unequal access to information and services. Women living in remote rural areas and migrant factory workers are the two populations that lack access to SRH information and services.
DESCRIBE HOW YOU IMPLEMENT YOUR EDUCATION PROGRAMS INTO THE COMMUNITY.
MSV uses many channels to reach out to our target groups. Urban women normally receive SRH information via MSV’s website, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Zalo because 95% of them have access to the internet. Factory workers, both men and women, access SRH information from our digital channels and other channels including Peer Educators, on site health fairs, and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) sessions and pamphlets. In the rural provinces, we produce scripts for the loudspeaker system in villages, and train service providers on group/ individual counseling so they can take part in education sessions for women when they attend health facilities for treatment.
WHAT AREAS IN VIETNAM STILL NEED TO BE REACHED AND ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE?
Women in remote and mountainous areas in Vietnam are still the most vulnerable groups. Most of the community health stations in these provinces do not offer a variety of contraceptive choices, and many service providers in these areas have not received additional training on reproductive health. Furthermore, the infrastructure is very basic and inadequate for service provision. Geography is a big challenge because ethnic minority women often have to walk tens of kilometers to reach the nearest community health station and have to carry their children with them as there is often no one to look after them. Migrant female factory workers are also vulnerable as they work long hours, leaving them little time to take care of themselves. During Covid, many of them have lost their jobs or their income and can no longer afford health services. Most health facilities have also shut down to focus on pandemic prevention, thus making it even harder for them to access health services.
WHERE CAN WOMEN GO TO SEEK HELP AND INFORMATION ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH? HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR MEN TO ALSO BE INVOLVED?
There are many channels and websites to access SRH information. MSV is actively involved in these channels and continue to work to disseminate accurate and reliable information to the community. Men play a very important role in supporting their partners to use contraceptives for family planning. Research has shown that women have difficulty in persuading their male partners to use condoms. Some men either do not allow their partners/spouses to use contraceptives or do not encourage women to seek out these services. If men take an active role in supporting women’s use of modern contraceptives and regular reproductive health checks, women will feel much more motivated to take care of their own health.
WHAT ARE THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF INVESTING IN WOMEN’S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH?
In a press release on June 29, 2005, the United National Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) highlights key economic benefits of investing in reproductive health: “If modern contraceptive services were available to all 201 million women with unmet need in the developing world, 1.5 million women and children would be saved each year, and the number of unplanned births would be reduced by 72%. Fewer unintended pregnancies means healthier women and babies, and fewer maternal and infant deaths.”
Healthier and more productive individuals and families contribute to stronger, wealthier nations. In addition to the many physical and psychological benefits of investing in sexual and reproductive health, the publication highlights the economic returns that go beyond the health sector — including public expenditures on education, housing infrastructure, food, and other social services. Every dollar invested in family planning, for example, has saved more than USD16 in Thailand and USD31 in Egypt. In a research study conducted by MSV in 2015, 1 USD invested in improving access to family planning services for female factory workers has saved 8 dollars. [C]
