Vietnam

Demographics

Estimated Total Population:

95.54 million

World Bank, 2018

Estimated SGM Population:

N/A

Estimated Total SGM Adult Population:

N/A

Estimated % of SGM Adults (18+):

N/A

There are no nationwide surveys looking at Sexual and Gender minorities in Vietnam. However, Vietnamese media and civil society organization usually use the prevalence of LGBT from international research (CDC and William Institute) which estimate that 3-5% of Vietnam’s population is LGBTQ. The LGBTQ population between the ages of 15-50 has consistently been estimated to be1.6 million individuals. Furthermore, of this estimate, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health estimates that the transgender population is at 270,000-300,000.

Vietnam's Laws and Policies from ILGA World Report (2019)

RECOGNITION

Marriage for Same-Sex Couples	No
Civil Unions	No
Joint Adoption	No
Second Parent Adoption	No
Right to Change Legal Gender	Yes

PROTECTION

Employment Nondiscrimination Laws	No
Broad Protections	No
Criminalization of Violence	No
Ban of Conversion Therapy	No

CRIMINALIZATION

Consensual Same-Sex Acts are Legal?	Yes
Gender	Does Not Apply
Max Penalty (Yrs in Prison)	Does Not Apply

Selected Published Studies, Reports, and Other Documents

Do, T., Anh, N.T., Thai, V.X., & Thao, N.T.P. (2018). Seeking health care as a transgender woman in contemporary Vietnam: Access barriers and the situation of hormone use.Regional Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 3(2). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326919606_Seeking_health_care_as_a_transgender_woman_in_contemporary_Vietnam_Access_barriers_and_the_situation_of_hormone_use

García, M.C., Duong, Q.L., Mercer, L.E., Meyer, S.B., & Ward, P.R. (2013).Never testing for HIV’ among Men who have Sex with Men in Viet Nam: results from an internet-based cross-sectional survey.BMCPublic Health13(1236). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3877867/

Nguyen, T.T., Kimura, K., & Morinaga, Y. (2016). Homonegative attitudesand their Correlates Among Vietnamese College students.Psychological Reports, 118 (3). https://doi-org.proxy.lib.duke.edu/10.1177/0033294115627526.

Oldenburg, C.E., Le, B., Toan, T., Thien, D.D., Huyen, H.T., Friedman, M.R., Stall, R., & Colby, D. (2016).HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Indication and Readiness Among HIV-Uninfected Transgender Women in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.AIDS and Behavior20,365–370. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.duke.edu/10.1007/s10461-016-1483-x.

Philbin, M. M., Hirsch, J. S., Wilson, P. A., Ly, A. T., Giang, L. M., & Parker, R. G. (2018). Structural barriers to HIV prevention among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Vietnam: Diversity, stigma, and healthcare access. PLoSONE, 13(4), e0195000. Retrieved from https://link-gale-com.proxy.lib.duke.edu/apps/doc/A533192178/EAIM?u=duke_perkins&sid=EAIM&xid=970bcc58.

Thi, M.D.A., Brickley, D.B.,Vinh, D.T.N., Colby, D.J., Sohn, A.H., Trung, N.Q., Giang, L.T., & Mandel, J.S. (2008). A Qualitative Study of Stigma and Discrimination against People Living with HIV in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.AIDSandBehavior, 12,63–70. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.duke.edu/10.1007/s10461-008-9374-4.

Vi, V.T.T., Long, K.Q., Hong, L.H.T.C., Anh, H.T.N, Ngoc, N,V., Tam, V.V., Lai, N.L., Hanh, H.H., Phuong, T.V.AA., Trang, N.N.N, & Dung, D.V. (2020).HIV Prevalence and Factors Related to HIV Infection Among Transgender Women in Vietnam: A Respondent Driven Sampling Approach.AIDS and Behavior. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.duke.edu/10.1007/s10461-020-02867-5.