RFA-07-00-005
Reducing HIV/AIDS Risk among Primary Sexual Partners of Rehabilitation (06) Center Returnees in Viet Nam

The program aims to reduce the risk of HIV among the primary sexual partners of returning 06 center residents through outreach that provides essential information, commodities, and referrals; and which explicitly seeks to improve the intimate partner relationship dynamics between releasees and their primary partners. This program, to be supported by Pact Viet Nam with funding from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), is grounded in the comprehensive HIV prevention strategies of both PEPFAR and the Government of Viet Nam.

Specifically, this program seeks to improve the adoption of protective practices among the target group via outreach services that:

• Address imbalances in intimate partner relationship dynamics.
• Raise awareness of HIV/AIDS risk within the couple and support the adoption of risk-reduction practices.
• Improve couple understanding of how prevalent gender norms and expectations which dictate men have a right to demand sex from their regular partners, while women have no right to refuse sexual relations or to insist on condom use increase women's risk for HIV.
• Ensure women and couples are linked with appropriate services and commodities.

The program will provide vulnerable women with prevention services that empower them to prevent HIV infection. It will target women, both individually and along with their sexual partner, to provide the motivation, skills, and commodities needed to adopt safer behaviors. Outreach workers will address male and female behavioral norms and stress messages that spouses/sexual partners of former 06 center residents have the right to refuse sexual relationships and that should they decide to engage in sexual activity, correct and consistent condom use is vital. Using individual- and couple-oriented approaches, outreach workers will help partners negotiate the adoption of safer sexual practices. Center releasees and their primary partners (who may also be current/former drug users) will also be provided with referrals to the full range of HIV/AIDS services, including counseling and testing, substance abuse treatment, HIV/AIDS care and treatment, PMTCT, and care and support services for infected/affected children. Applicants will propose pilot site(s) in one or more of the following Emergency Plan provinces: Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Hanoi , Ho Chi Minh City , Can Tho, and An Giang. Activities are to be undertaken in a manner that maximizes the role of indigenous organizations and builds indigenous technical and management capacity to carry out related programming in the longer term.

Applications must be submitted to Pact Viet Nam by November 5, 2007 and may be submitted in either Vietnamese or English. It is anticipated that only one grant will be awarded for approximately $480,000 over a two and a half-year period. The available funding for year one is $160,000.

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