Teen sex stigma hindering HIV fight

Teen sex stigma hindering HIV fight

The annual World Aids Day, which falls tomorrow, is designed to remind people of the global campaign to make the next generation free of HIV/Aids. The global effort, which has been carried on for the past 26 years, has produced a satisfactory result, as the number of new HIV infections worldwide has dropped significantly in the past few years.

Globally, the rate of new HIV infections has fallen 13% in the past three years. Of the estimated 35 million people living with HIV in the world, more than 13 million are now receiving treatment. Aids-related deaths are at their lowest level since peaking in 2005, down by 35%, according to the UN Population Fund.

Thailand has, however, witnessed an alarming trend recently. Although the country has been successful in reducing the number of infections in the past 20 years, the next generation here has become the most vulnerable group in terms of exposure to HIV/Aids.

Thailand was a showcase for controlling HIV/Aids in the 1990s. There were successful campaigns to provide the public with necessary information and encourage them to use condoms and other safe sex practices.

However, those campaigns have stalled and are failing to reach young people today. While no hard data is available on HIV/Aids infections among young Thai people, the number of sexually transmitted infections among people aged 15-24 has doubled in the past decade, on top of a rise in unwanted pregnancies amongst the same age group.

The Public Health Ministry reported that the ratio of people aged 15-24 who contracted an STI last year was 95 per 100,000, compared with 46 per 100,000 in 2004. That figure alone shows that efforts to educate young Thais about safe sex are failing.

The rise in sexually transmitted illnesses and unwanted pregnancies among adolescents also suggests that the issue is not being addressed effectively at home or in schools.

Meanwhile, the number of new HIV/Aids infections among the LGBT community, sex workers and migrant workers is increasing, primarily due to the inadequate supply of services to reach out to different groups of people amid the changing structure of Thai society.

The Public Health Ministry estimated that more than 460,000 people are living with HIV/Aids in Thailand at the moment.

Thailand announced an “Aids Zero” campaign as part of the National Aids Strategic Plan for 2012-2016. The strategy, however, will not work if the issue is not dealt with at its root cause — that is to promote effective public information and adjust strategies in line with the changing lifestyles of the young people.

Many of the new HIV infections have occurred not because of a lack of condoms or safe sex tools available on the market, but rather because many users, particularly adolescents, find it difficult to obtain them due to the social stigma and discrimination they face.

The campaign to fight HIV/Aids in the 1980s and 1990s worked largely because the service providers were not biased when it came to adults. But now, at a time when young people have become more sexually active and are in need of sexual counselling and guidance, these young people face judgement and unrealistic expectations of abstinence until marriage.

Some outdated regulations also hinder the rights of these young people to gain access to necessary services. For instance, current medical guidelines require those under the age of 18 to obtain parental consent for voluntary counselling and HIV testing, as well as services such as contraceptive implants. This requirement acts as a deterrent, making many young people afraid to seek HIV testing or other similar services.

Meanwhile, the overall educational environment does not provide the young, or even adults, with a proper understanding of sexuality and the diversity of people’s sexual orientation. A study by Mahidol University released earlier this year showed that more than half of students with same-sex attractions said they were bullied in school because of their sexual orientation.

Imagine the judgemental stares these young people face when they are seeking help and services. Many online teen chat rooms show how many young students have to fight against the biased attitudes of adults just to buy condoms from a convenience store.

Unless social stigma and discrimination are tackled, Thailand will not be able to bring down the rate of new HIV infections to zero in the next two years, regardless of the Public Health Ministry's goals.

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