The English words ‘‘MSM’’ and ‘‘gay’’, for example, were sometimes used, though a few participants said ‘‘gay’’ was typically used to describe effeminate men. Newspapers, according to participants, use the word ‘‘do ˆas the Vietnamese version of the word ‘‘gay.’’ Participantsfrequently said they prefer that their partnersbe masculine in their behavior, partly because they were attracted to such men, but also because of a fear of being publicly associated with homosexuality: