The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is conducting a campaign to raise awareness about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) ahead of Valentine's Day to protect teenagers in the capital from health risks.
Acting BMA Health Department director Pawinee Rungtonkit said the move follows a report revealing there are 10,879 people in Bangkok with an STD.
A report last year said that 96.87 of every 100,000 people in Bangkok were diagnosed with an STD, more than double the 47.35 per 100,000 in 2016.
Syphilis was the most common STD (3,677 people), or 60 out of every 100,000 people.
Next was gonorrhoea (24.97 per 100,000), genital warts (18.80 per 100,000), chlamydia (18.11 per 100,000), and herpes (15.22 per 100,000). Most patients were aged 15-24.
According to Ms Pawinee, recent HIV/Aids surveillance and bio-behavioural surveys (BBS) among men who have sex with men found that 4% of transgender women (TGW) were infected with HIV, while the infection rate was 1.68% in men.
As most STD patients live in Bangkok, Ms Pawinee said that the BMA is now working to promote the use of condoms for STD protection.
The BMA will be hosting a "BKK Pride Valentine 2025: Ready for All" event to raise awareness about STD protection and the use of PrEP/PEP medicine.
The event will take place on Feb 14 at The Mall Lifestore Bang Khae.