Aids In Thailand, How Bad Is It ?

[Ajarn]

I also feel we all have an obligation to help educate and support others if we can... This society needs all the help it can get, and I feel supportive of those 'cing cai' (true-hearted) folks trying to help in their own way.

Edited January 12, 2005 by Darknight

[pnustedt]

It sure is a major problem. Two girls in my wife's village of 300 or 400 people have returned from Pattaya with full blown Aids in the last 18 months. Both are now dead. One from Pneumonia the other (who was also pregnant) took her own life.

Everyone should be aware of the problem and take care.

[Ijustwannateach]

Condoms.

[sua yai]

A girl I know here has been HIV positive for 4 years. Her CD4 count is now higher than ever before because she is receiving the correct ARV medicines for the princely sum of 30 Baht a month. Previously, it had been 3,000 Baht.

I just hope Mr T dosn't sign the trade agreement with the US that would prohibit Thailand from manufacturing these drugs at a fraction of the cost the West demands.

He should also remember his opening address at last year's HIV/AIDS summit in Bangkok when he announced his intention to make these drugs free to all who needed them.

[astral]

In the middle age society there is a good awareness of AIDS because people are dying.

In my area there is about one death a week!!

Getting the message through to the youngsters to exercise care and use condoms

is not so easy.

[The Gentleman Scamp]

Think it's bad now?

The Aids epidemic is going to creep up on us and affect us worse than ever before in the not too distant future.

The government and the world should concentrate on that instead of abolishing beachside hotels and spending money on preventing the next tsunami which is due in about 2,000 years time.

Aids is a real problem, condoms are horrible to wear - more needs to be done, you can't just preach about condoms - it's not enough.

Screw mission to Mars - get rid of Aids and other STD's so we can all have better sex lives and only have pregnancy to worry about.

[Darknight]

By user request.

Please have your discussion about Aids Here.

What do you think? is it Bad? do You have it? do you know someone?

Your reactions please

[the scouser]

My wife fell pregnant 1 year ago and attended hospital for some tests. I hung around but got pissed off waiting (the missus couldn't pee in the bottle) and went off in search of a Chang or three. I was quaffing my ale when my wife rang me and told me to come quickly. I returned to the hospital where, in floods of tears, my wife told me that she'd been diagnosed as hiv positive. She insisted that we divorce in order to enable me to find a "good" lady and to allow her to go home and die. I'd married her because I love her. I wasn't going to bugger off and leave her. Also my fear was that was it me who'd infected her? Thankfully a blood test subsequently conducted upon me proved negative. So, over the course of the next couple of days we discussed the disease and I managed to persuade her that with current treatment she could live a long and healthy life. We came to the UK where I felt treatment would be better and also free.

My wife has now been taking ARV drugs for 4 months. Her CD4 rate is picking up and her viral load going down. The doctor even says that once it fades to almost zero I can return to my previous practice of doing unspeakable things to her without protection.

And the pregnancy? She miscarried. What a fukcing week that was!

Scouse.

[bkkbound04]

u sund like a good man scouse

[britmaveric]

Scouser- your a good lad!!! :wub:I have to respect someone who truely sticks by their woman alot of men would have done a runner. Hope your lady stays well!!!

Scampy- wearing a condom isnt a big deal. (ultra sensitive ones are actually not half bad) They haven't cured cancer yet- so think AIDS is way off.

My gf told me of a few people she knew that withered away and died last year or so. It's sad, but I think thai(s) and farang alike need to stop being thick and protect themselves.

[Pie Boy]

The AIDS issue is global (39million people with hiv) and maybe discussing it in the context of one countries problems misses the fact that the majority of us come from countries whose governments could actually make a differance worldwide.

In England STDs are on the increase and people (young and old) are still not following the advice to use protection.

I really don't know what the solution is, but it would be great to see world leaders sit down and agree a strategy to face this crisis head on regardless of the monetary impact.

It is my understanding that in terms of the global issue Asia has a significant increase in cases with a 50% increase over the last 3 years.I am unaware of the numbers in Thailand,however the vast majority of cases are still in Africa.

[PvtDick]

One of my staff died of AIDS a couple months ago, leaving his wife and four year-old child.

[thaiflyer1]

The doctor even says that once it fades to almost zero I can return to my previous practice of doing unspeakable things to her without protection.

Scouser youve got my admiration for sticking by your wife...........but surely the above would be folly?

[PvtDick]

Absolute folly. I know a couple that made this mistake, and it ended in tragedy for both.

[pedro01]

A girl I know here has been HIV positive for 4 years. Her CD4 count is now higher than ever before because she is receiving the correct ARV medicines for the princely sum of 30 Baht a month. Previously, it had been 3,000 Baht.

I just hope Mr T dosn't sign the trade agreement with the US that would prohibit Thailand from manufacturing these drugs at a fraction of the cost the West demands.

He should also remember his opening address at last year's HIV/AIDS summit in Bangkok when he announced his intention to make these drugs free to all who needed them.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sua Yai - someone in my wifes family contracted HIV off her policeman husband whilst pregnant (nice guy).

I'm helping out with medicine - better than adopting the 2 kids - how do we know she's getting the right stuff here in Thailand ? She's getting pills every month - her health & weight are up & down, some skin rashes - not sure if these are sides off HIV medication or if this is the HIV because medication isn't right.

Is there some way to ID the medication or is there a particular place here in Bangkok you'd recommend for treatment....

Cheers

Pete

[NarrLing]

A Thai friend in the medical field in Issan told me that nearly all extended families there have 1 member either HIV positive or dead from AIDS.

A lot of the problem stems from the people not understanding HIV and AIDS. They tend to think of it like a common cold that will go away with medication. The Thai health system is conducting regular education sessions trying to change these ideas.

It's a sad situation. I've seen and heard of 7 funerals due to AIDS in one village close to where I live in the past few years.

[Ajarn]

I HIGHLY resent the editing done on my post, and I resent the mods replacing the original name with my name as the thread starter without saying anything to me.

I said NOTHING that broke any rules or deserved censorship, and I see these actions as very disrespectfull to me, personaly.

[fatter than harry]

One of the saddest days in my life was during the time I was working in Hat Yai, we organised a charity day for the local orphanage, the last dormitry at the back of the site held all the toddlers with HIV, poor little buggers, broke my heart.

[Petesear]

I hear too many stories from ferang who take risks whilst playing the field, whether it's by telling the girl that she's the only one or paying her extra, somehow they get away with it. It's difficult to say who needs educating. Reading through this forum there are always the stories about girls.. I just hope that nobody is as stupid as a guy that spoke to me recently.. And I quote 'I don't support the rubber industry! I always ride bare back' I'm not sure if that was said to wind me up, but it did.

[chuchok]

Pity there are not more people like you in this world Scouser.

[the scouser]

The doctor even says that once it fades to almost zero I can return to my previous practice of doing unspeakable things to her without protection.

surely the above would be folly?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, you're right but the doc did say that when her viral load is negligible then the chances of transmission are practically zero.

Anyway, I suppose my point is that I want to highlight the fact that with correct treatment an hiv positive person can enjoy a normal and fulfilling life.

Cheers,

Scouse.

[ProThaiExpat]

Scouser: How long did you have unprotected sex with your wife, including pre-marital sex, before she was diagnosed?

[the scouser]

15 months.

Scouse.

[Digger]

I got really annoyed at a TV article when I was in Pattaya over Christmas which showed a group of HIV positive kids at Yorkies restaurant having a Christmas lunch. Organised by something called the UK club which was a great effort, but when they interviewed one of the organisers, she said something along the lines of "these kids have all got AIDS and we want to help them in their short lives to have some happiness". To her credit she did say that she is not an expert on this and with that kind of statement, she is absolutely correct in that she really knows very little.

With correct medical attention HIV is a manageable illness like diabetes. With medication, you can control diabetes, without it you will die - same as HIV. With correct medical treatment, HIV doctors are now advising patients that they will likely lead a normal life expectancy. With treatment HIV does not have to lead to full blown aids.

Unfortunately too many people still assume that nothing can be done and that death is inevitable. Of course it is if you dont do anything about it. For the cost of 3,000 baht a month, Thailand even without the 30 baht scheme can and does treat people who continue to lead full lifes. Unfortunately it seems that the stigma question is still there plus a serious lack of knowledge among Thai healthcare professionals as to how to correctly treat this illness. The key is for anybody with HIV to get regular testing and then when they fall below certain CD4 levels to move onto HART treatments. These will if taken correctly, keep the virus in check and under control. This is the message that needs to be understood as well as the obvious efforts to prevent transmission in the first place, but lets not give up on people that are HIV positive.

Personally I have been overwhelmed by the attention given to the Tsunami and wonder if this energy could be equally deployed to help kids with HIV as an example. One pub raised over 150,000 baht in one night for the relief operation. That money would pay for a kids medicine and checkups for about 5 years. Something to think about perhaps.

[chuchok]

I got really annoyed at a TV article when I was in Pattaya over Christmas which showed a group of HIV positive kids at Yorkies restaurant having a Christmas lunch.    Organised by something called the UK club which was a great effort, but when they interviewed one of the organisers, she said something along the lines of "these kids have all got AIDS and we want to help them in their short lives to have some happiness".    To her credit she did say that she is not an expert on this and with that kind of statement, she is absolutely correct in that she really knows very little. 

With correct medical attention HIV is a manageable illness like diabetes.   With medication, you can control diabetes, without it you will die - same as HIV.   With correct medical treatment, HIV doctors are now advising patients that they will likely lead a normal life expectancy.  With treatment HIV does not have to lead to full blown aids.  

Unfortunately too many people still assume that nothing can be done and that death is inevitable.  Of course it is if you dont do anything about it.     For the cost of 3,000 baht a month, Thailand even without the 30 baht scheme can and does treat people who continue to lead full lifes.    Unfortunately it seems that the stigma question is still there plus a serious lack of knowledge among Thai healthcare professionals as to how to correctly treat this illness.   The key is for anybody with HIV to get regular testing and then when they fall below certain CD4 levels to move onto HART treatments.   These will if taken correctly, keep the virus in check and under control.    This is the message that needs to be understood as well as the obvious efforts to prevent transmission in the first place, but lets not give up on people that are HIV positive.

Personally I have been overwhelmed by the attention given to the Tsunami and wonder if this energy could be equally deployed to help kids with HIV as an example.   One pub raised over 150,000 baht in one night for the relief operation.  That money would pay for a kids medicine and checkups for about 5 years.  Something to think about perhaps.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good points Digger.

Normally people only give their time or money when things are shoved in front of their faces.The most sobering experience in my life, was when I went to an orphanage to play with the kids with my wife. Half of the children were orphans due to AIDS...and most probably a large percentage of these kids were HIV positive as well...poor little buggers.

Edited January 13, 2005 by chuchok

[NarrLing]

Digger I hear what you say.

I’ve recently been involved in health dept seminar presentation preparations dealing in ways to improve education on HIV and AIDS amongst the Thai community. Albeit, on the peripheral.

Definite active measures are being taken by the Thai health authorities to educate both the medical profession and community. It is an ongoing commitment.

One of the biggest problems comes with convincing people living in villages etc that HIV is preventable. Until this education gets through to the people at risk, the problem will continue to grow.

A lot of the people affected in rural areas still struggle to afford medication, despite the 30 baht scheme being introduced. Yes, people affected can lead normal lives, but if medication comes as a second priority, these people suffer health problems which lead to them slowly fading out of the money earning capacity previously held in the family. This then leads to more financial hardships.

Hospitals do have privacy rules in place for infected people under their quality care policies. The stigma comes about when these people return to their villages and gossip takes over. You have to remember a lot of rural folk have had little or no education on medical matters. They see people regularly dying from AIDS and think the same will happen to the latest infected person.

On the other side of the coin, you have the younger people visiting 50 baht whorehouses not knowing they can catch HIV. These people are the ones who don’t know the consequences of unprotected sex and think it is the same as catching the normal STD’s which can be cured by simply popping a few antibiotics or having a jab.

I agree a lot more can be done to educate and treat people on this matter. Unfortunately money comes into play when you consider other preventable diseases like Malaria, TB etc need funding too.

NL

[slimdog]

To Scouser: You have my greatest respect for what you did for your wife. As someone who was diagnosed with having AIDS about 18 months ago, I know that without the support of my wife I never could have gotten through the first few weeks. Her standing by me meant everything then and still does today. Wishing you and your wife a long ,happy and loving life.

[ProThaiExpat]

The government is working toward universal availability of the once or twice a day combination generic pill developed in India. However, with the underfunded 30 Baht scheme, my bet is most Thai people have to pay for their HIV drugs.

Another problem with HIV positive Thais in the 30 Baht scheme is that they are only treated at that cost when they are "sick". Thus, during the many years that they are HIV positive before becoming "sick" the cd4 and viral load tests must be paid outside the 30 Baht system.

Thus, my guess is that most Thais must actually contract an opportunistic infection before they are actively treated and often they don't recover from the disease that was preventable by proper testing during their HIV positive but no illness period.

[ProThaiExpat]

15 months.

Scouse.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Your experience is support for what your physician advised you about not contracting HIV during unprotected love making once your wife's viral load is minimized.

Good hygene and being cicrumcised goes a long way toward minimizing unprotected transmission of the HIV virus during intercourse in the male dominant role. As blood or bodily fluids are the means of transmission of HIV, a male has far less chance of contracting the virus, especially if he guards against sex when there is an open lesion in the exposed area.

I had a three year live in intimate relationship with a Thai who was HIV positive and our sex was unprotected. I would concervatively estimate I was "exposed" during love making at least 200 times. I remain HIV negative.

Intervenous drug users are at the greatest risk when they share needles.

I haven't seen stats on why Africa has such a high incidence of transmission of HIV in sex, but my guess is perhaps a very virulent strain of the virus combined with poor hygene and few circumcisions. Likewise, my guess is that fellatio is practiced more widely by prostitutes in the west, particulary by the street prostitutes.

I would be interested in the stats on male vs. female HIV infections in Thailand. My guess it is much higher in females because Thai HIV positive men transmit it to many more prostitutes than the other way around.

[Wolfie]

I remember reading on the Phuket Gazette (and i think the article was repeated here) that Phuket has approx 3,000 known cases of HIV on the island, and almost 2,000 of those were women.

That should give you a fairly good idea as to the ratio.