According to the
General Statistics Office of Vietnam (2008),
Vietnamese people with disabilities (PWDs) represent 15.3% of population
(GSO, 2008). Most of them are not well - educated and lack knowledge about Sexual
Reproductive Health (SRH) (An, 2013). In 2008, there was 37,680 PWDs who live
and work Hochiminh City with low incomes (Nguyễn Thị Từ An, 2008). Their living standard is also mostly
lower than other Vietnamese people. It could be explained that their low level
of education results in the increase in unemployment. It is probably that they
focus on how to enhance their lives, thus they are less concerned about how to
improve their knowledge as well as maintain health (An, 2013). This essay will discuss some Hochiminh dweller
with disabilities of challenges in understanding because of taboos and lack of SRH
information sources.
Firstly,
the majority of PWDs respondents have a misunderstanding about SRH. They think
that SRH is having sex with other people (An, 2013) instead of "a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being
in relation to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction
or infirmity" (WHO, 2014).
According to a Sexual problems of People with disabilities in Hochiminh city today research, by depth interview method, the
author interviewed 18 disabled people about what sexuality is. Most respondents
said that sexuality is to have sex (An, 2013).
Exactly it is to have sex! (PI02. Disabled
male, 45 years old, Bachelor, unemployed) (An, 2013), p.190).
It is probably that sexuality is make love
in married life and to give birth between male and female. Certainly, it
includes love (VI02. Blind male, 54 years
old, postgraduate student, teacher). (An, 2013), p.191).
Table 1: The views of Hochiminh PWDs about
what Sexuality is
Sexuality
is
|
Physical impairment
|
Vision impairment
|
Hearing impairment
|
Total
|
Having
sex
|
6
|
6
|
4
|
16
|
Solving
physiological needs
|
3
|
1
|
-
|
4
|
Love
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
5
|
Do
not know
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
2
|
Give
birth
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
Table 1 shows that most PWDs answer that
sexuality is to have sex, which represent 16 people of total respondents. It
can be seen that Hochiminh citizens with disabilities misunderstand about SRH
which can lead to they facing a wide range of problems in their married lives.
For instance, in a Gender roles of People with disabilities family in Hochiminh
city today research, the author interviewed
18 people with disabilities. One of the main findings of this research shows
that women with disabilities (WWDs) were shy to show their sexual needs (An, 2009).
I think that male should be
subjective in having sex and female should not do this because it is a taboo (Hearing
impairment female, PVS
03). (An, 2009), p.83).
My
husband is always a subjective person because he is a man (Blind
female, PVS 12)
(An, 2009), p.83).
This data shows that Hochiminh citizens
with disabilities do not have understanding about SRH which results in challenges
in their lives.
Secondly, the taboos of
SRH are common barriers of Hochiminh dweller with disabilities (An, 2013). It seems that sexuality in Vietnam is easy
to joke about but it is hard to discuss.
In terms of families, many parents of PWDs do not teach their children
with disabilities about gender and sexuality. Parents mostly say that sexuality
is a bad behavior (An, 2013). A hearing impairment person answered in
the 2013 research, which is mentioned above, that:
Sex is always a bad thing because it does not allow to talk with some. If I
talk with other family members about this issue, they may look down me (HI02. Hearing
impaired female, 54 years old, grade 2, house
worker, widow) (An, 2013), p.80).
And their disabled children are not encouraged to ask them about SRH (An, 2013). It means that they are not allowed to
talk with other family members about gender and SRH. As a blind man shared his
view in the 2013 research below.
Generally, there is no
one who can teach me about SRH. It is true! For me, I never asked my parents about
this. If I ask them, I will be fighted down by a whip (VI01. Blind female, 32 years old, Bachelor, massage staff) (An, 2013), p.69-70).
Regarding schools, teachers are shy to talk about SRH and are not
trained about the scientific SRH knowledge. That is why they find it difficult
to teach their students as well as students with disabilities about SRH (An, 2013). An interviewee in the 2013 research said
that
No, they did not teach anymore because it did not include in Biology. If I
want to know more except the human body, I just ask or discuss with my friends as
a secret. (VI02. Blind male, 54 years old, postgraduate
student, teacher) (An, 2013), p.72-73)
Additionally, there is no SRH subject in the curriculum. Generally, PWD
respondents may know some basic information about the human body when they
study biology in secondary school (An, 2013). A chairwoman in the 2013 research said
that
For me, I just learned about
periods including Biology at grade 9. That is all! (PI01. Disabled
female, 34 years old, bachelor, chairwoman) (An, 2013), p.73).
With regards to communities, it is not socially acceptance for Hochiminh
citizens with disabilities to discuss SRH in public places (An, 2013). It is clearly seen that SRH is taboo of
SRH in Vietnam. Having a look at two PWDs who were interviewed in the 2013
research below.
My parents did not say anything. How can they tell me about this? (HI01. Hearing
impaired female, 26 years old, Bachelor, manager, widow (An, 2013),
p.75).
For my relatives, they do not allow to teach me about this issue. Sometimes, I heard they told a sexual story and
laugh if there was nobody around them (PI04.
Disabled female, 29 years old, bachelor, staff) (An, 2013), p.75).
Thus, PWDs who live in Hochiminh city find it difficult to improve their
knowledge about SRH from their family, school and community.
Lastly, the SRH sources
in Vietnam are not accessed easily because it is a taboo of SRH. People who
access SRH information via mass media, would be arrested with legal liability.
So, Hochiminh citizens with disabilities often improve their SRH knowledge via watching
online clips on illegal websites or illegal DVDs (An, 2013). Here are two PWDs who shared their
experiences in the 3021 research.
I often watch 18 plus movies
on some websites (PI01. Disabled female, 34 years old, bachelor,
chairwoman) (An, 2013), p.64).
When I was a teenager, I found tapes from my friends and watched them.
Then, I watched online clips or 18 plus movies. I try to figure out what
sexuality is and how to have safe sex (PI03.
Disabled male, 28 years old, bachelor học, IT staff) (An, 2013), p.65).
In addition, some gender books are not accessible for vision and hearing
impaired people (An, 2013). There is no version by sign language or
Braille for them. So it is difficult for blind or deaf people to learn about
SRH knowledge.
In conclusion,
Hochiminh citizens with disabilities are facing many challenges including lack
of understanding of sexuality, lack of SRH knowledge which result from SRH
taboo, and lack of sources. To enhance their lives, setting up an accessible
library for mobility, hearing and vision impaired people as well as training in
gender and SRH may help them improve their knowledge.
Nguyen Thi Tu An (Surname - middle names - first name), La Trobe Univrsity, Australia
References
General Statistics Office of
Vietnam. (2008). Statistical Handbook of Vietnam: 2008. Hanoi, Vietnam.
WHO (2014). World
Health Organization. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/sexual_health/sh_definitions/en/index.html.
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