eHealth interventions have great potential to meet the diverse sexual health needs of adolescent and young men who have sex with men (AYMSM) in Vietnam, but concerns about trustworthiness and confidentiality must be addressed to make them more appealing and accessible.
Key Findings
Results
Overall perceptions of eHealth interventions among Vietnamese AYMSM were positive.
21 participants were enrolled in the study across two cities: Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Data were collected from December 2022 to March 2023 via in-depth interviews and focus group discussions.
Qualitative data were thematically analyzed using a combination of deductive and inductive analytic approaches.
Positive perceptions were broadly shared across participants.
Results
Participants identified multiple perceived benefits of eHealth interventions for sexual health.
Perceived usefulness included improved knowledge of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
eHealth was seen as a facilitator of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use.
Additional benefits identified included convenience, discreetness, affordability, and suitability for young people.
These benefits were identified through thematic analysis of qualitative interview and focus group data.
Results
Participants expressed concerns about confidentiality and trustworthiness of eHealth interventions.
Confidentiality was identified as a key concern, likely reflecting stigma associated with being MSM in Vietnam.
Trustworthiness of the platforms and the information provided was also a noted concern.
These concerns were identified as barriers that would need to be addressed for effective implementation.
The concerns existed alongside otherwise generally positive perceptions of eHealth.
Results
Mobile apps were the preferred format for eHealth interventions among AYMSM.
Among the eHealth formats considered, mobile applications were identified as the most preferred delivery vehicle.
This preference was identified through qualitative exploration of participant views on eHealth formats.
The preference for mobile apps aligns with convenience and discreetness identified as key perceived benefits.
The finding reflects the broader global trend of mobile-first digital health engagement among young people.
Results
Participants identified a range of desirable features for eHealth interventions targeting AYMSM sexual health.
Desired features included connection with peers and healthcare providers.
Tracking of behaviors and test results was identified as a desirable functionality.
Support for PrEP use was specifically named as a desired feature.
Delivery of test kits and condoms through the platform was desired.
Support for persons living with HIV was also identified as a desirable feature.
Results
Participants suggested strategies to improve reach, credibility, and user interface of eHealth interventions.
A variety of strategies were proposed by participants to make interventions more appealing and accessible.
Strategies addressed three specific dimensions: reach, credibility, and user interface.
These suggestions were generated inductively from participant responses during interviews and focus groups.
The suggestions point to the importance of involving AYMSM in the co-design of eHealth tools.
Background
There is a recognized gap in effective eHealth interventions for sexual health among AYMSM in low-resource settings.
The study identifies a lack of effective eHealth interventions specifically focusing on sexual health among adolescent and young MSM.
The gap is noted to be particularly pronounced in low-resource settings such as Vietnam.
Vietnam served as the study context, representing a low-to-middle income country setting.
This gap motivated the qualitative exploration of AYMSM perceptions and preferences.
What This Means
This research explores what young gay and bisexual men in Vietnam think about using digital health tools (eHealth) to improve their sexual health and prevent HIV. Researchers conducted interviews and group discussions with 21 young men who have sex with men (MSM) in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City between late 2022 and early 2023. The participants generally had positive views about eHealth tools, seeing them as useful for learning about HIV and sexually transmitted infections, getting access to HIV prevention medication (PrEP), and obtaining services in a convenient, private, and affordable way.
The study found that mobile phone apps were the most preferred format for these health tools. Participants wanted apps that could connect them with peers and healthcare providers, help them track their health behaviors and test results, support PrEP use, and even deliver condoms and HIV test kits directly to them. However, participants also expressed concerns about privacy and whether they could trust these platforms, which reflects the real stigma that MSM face in Vietnam and similar settings.
This research suggests that digital health tools could play an important role in reaching young MSM with sexual health services in places where in-person care may be difficult to access or carry social stigma. To be effective, these tools would need to be designed with strong privacy protections and built-in trustworthiness, ideally with input from young MSM themselves. The findings highlight the importance of involving the target community in designing health technologies that meet their real-world needs.
Nguyen M, Mast I, Rutstein S, Hoffman I, Tran H, Giang L, et al.. (2025). Preferences for eHealth interventions to improve sexual health and prevent HIV for Vietnamese young men who have sex with men.. Health promotion international. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daaf060