| THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ------- | SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM Independence - Freedom - Happiness ---------- |
| No: 64/2006/QH11 | Hanoi, June 29, 2006 |
LAW
ON HIV/AIDS PREVENTION AND CONTROL
Pursuant to the 1992 Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which was amended and supplemented under December 25, 2001 Resolution No. 51/2001/QH10 of the Xth National Assembly, the 10th session;
This Law provides for HIV/AIDS prevention and control.
Chapter I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1. - Scope of regulation and subjects of application
1. This Law provides for HIV/AIDS prevention and control measures; the care, treatment and support for HIV-infected people and conditions for the implementation of HIV/AIDS prevention and control measures.
2. This Law applies to Vietnamese and foreign agencies, organizations and individuals in Vietnam.
Article 2.- Interpretation of terms
In this Law, the terms below are construed as follows:
1. HIV is the abbreviation of the English phrase Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which is the virus that causes the acquired immune deficiency syndrome in human, causing the body to lose the ability to fight disease-causing agents.
2. AIDS is the abbreviation of the English phrase Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, which is caused by HIV, normally manifested by opportunistic infections and cancers, and may lead to death.
3. Opportunistic infections are infections that happen to a body due to the deficiency of the bodys immunity caused by HIV infection.
4. Stigmatization against an HIV-infected person is an attitude of contempt or disrespect towards another person because of the awareness or suspicion that such person is infected with HIV or has close relationship with an HIV-infected or suspected HIV-infected person.
5. Discrimination against an HIV-infected person is an act of alienation, refusal, isolation, maltreatment, disgrace, prejudice or restriction of rights towards another person because of the awareness or suspicion that such person is infected with HIV or has close relationship with an HIV-infected or suspected HIV-infected person.
6. High-risk behaviors are behaviors that easily cause HIV transmission such as unsafe sex, needle/syringe sharing and other behaviors that easily cause HIV transmission.
7. Exposure to HIV is the exposure by direct contact with blood or bio-fluids of an HIV-infected person and at risk of getting infected with HIV.
8. HIV/AIDS epidemiological surveillance is the regular and systematic collection of information on epidemiological indicators of HIV/AIDS of different risky groups to know temporal trends and results in order to provide information for the planning, prevention, control and evaluation of the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS prevention and control measures.
9. HIV/AIDS sentinel surveillance is the collection of information through regular and systematic HIV tests of selected target groups to monitor annual HIV infection rates and trends in order to provide information for the planning, prevention, control and evaluation of the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS prevention and control measures.
10. HIV/AIDS counseling is a process of dialogue and provision of necessary knowledge and information about HIV/AIDS prevention and control between the counselor and the counseled, in order to help the counseled make his/her own decisions and resolve problems related to the prevention of HIV/AIDS transmission and the care for and treatment of HIV-infected persons.
11. HIV testing is the application of professional techniques to determine the status of HIV infection in samples of blood or bio-fluid from a human body.
12. HIV positive is the result of a test of blood or bio-fluid samples of a human body determined as HIV-infected.
13. Peer education group is a group of volunteers to carry out propaganda and motivation activities and assist people in the same plight.
14. Mobile population group is those who regularly live far from their families and change their residences and workplaces.
15. Harm reduction intervention measures in the prevention of HIV transmission include propaganda, mobilization and encouragement of the use of condoms, clean syringes and needles, treatment of addiction to opium-related substances with substitute substances and other harm reduction intervention measures in order to facilitate safe behaviors to prevent HIV transmission.
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