Let’s talk about it: HIV/Aids Facebook broadcasts tackle stigma

By CHULARAT SAENGPASSA 
THE NATION

 

 

Facebook Live broadcasts of talks to boost the public’s understanding about people living with HIV and mark the upcoming World Aids Day on Friday, December 1, will be held from midday to midnight from today until Thursday.

The special broadcast via Facebook.com/1663telephonecsg/ also aims to lessen social stigma, which has resulted in tens of thousands of working-age people in Thailand living with HIV being rejected from work and facing dead-end life situations, according to Somwong Uraiwattana, deputy director of the AIDS ACCESS Foundation and hotline 1663 project head. 

 

Each day, talks on various topics such as sex, condom use and access to HIV/Aids treatments will be presented to boost the public’s understanding about HIV/Aids in relation to daily life. The talks are meant to inspire a review of efforts to prevent and deal with HIV/Aids issues so all parties can move forward together, Somwong said. 

 

“We did a Facebook Live broadcast under the theme ‘teenage pregnancy, an issue schools should not aggravate’, and many people viewed it and shared it, so instead of a one-day march to campaign for World Aids Day, which might be less effective, we will create forums in various related aspects. We hope people will understand that people living with HIV are normal persons who can work and live along side them in society,” he added.

 

On the first day, safe sex will be discussed with parents invited to explain sex to their teenage children so they can protect themselves from STDs and unwanted pregnancies, Somwong said. The second day will see a discussion of access to treatment, he added. “We will talk about the fight of people living with HIV to gain access to free treatment. The previous situation in which those living with HIV had no access to costly antiretroviral drugs led to hundreds of thousands of deaths over the years. 

 

“We will talk about their [HIV-positive people’s] responsibility in taking care of themselves while on antiretroviral drugs and encourage at-risk people to submit for blood tests so they will be aware of their status, promptly be medicated and stop transmitting the virus,” he said, adding that 400,000 people living with HIV were being treated.

 

The third day will focus on access to condoms and use. “Why do youths still not have access to condoms? Why aren’t they a price-controlled product? The state agency that hands out free condoms is the Public Health Ministry, which distributes them via tambon health promotion hospitals during office hours. Do you think people need to use condoms only during the office hours? If you are in a village or in school, you need to travel to the hospitals to get it, is that convenient?” he asked. 

 

The last day will involve a discussion of coexistence and lessening social stigma, he said. “We will discuss how to go on after you find out that you are living with HIV. And we will discuss what has happened to many in the same condition whose jobs were adversely impacted.

 

“There are 20,000 people living with HIV who got the virus from their parents, many of whom graduated with bachelor’s degrees but faced dead-ends because job applications required a blood test. One 30-year-old HIV-positive man couldn’t get normal work so he works for the campaign about HIV/Aids. We want to make people understand that those living with HIV can coexist and work alongside others, while a blood test should not be a condition for a job application or a reason to be fired. We have seen people testing HIV-positive and lose their jobs,” he said. 

 

The foundation has also invited a young woman who brought a case to the Administrative Court after her blood test results for her nursing school application led to her being expelled, he added. 

 

“We will also have a meal with HIV-positive people who will cook the food to emphasise the point that we can live together,” Sompong said.

 

The Disease Control Department in 2016 reported that 430,000 people were living with HIV in Thailand with an annual new infection rate of 7,700 and annual fatality rate of 15,000 people.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30332534

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-11-27

My wife has a cousin who's husband loved the karaoke bars. He died of AIDS.  She's a single mom now, has AIDS and is blind.  Wrap it up my friends

 

Education and awareness is the Key....., so,it’s a start...

 

 

1 hour ago, robertthebruce said:

 

Education and awareness is the Key....., so,it’s a start...

 

 

Agreed.

Educate them via their phones because,seemingly,there is no other way of doing it..

The same could be said for road safety campaigns.

 

A royal personage leading the campaign would be of great benefit too..

Quote

Education and awareness is the Key....., so,it’s a start..

I am going to go out on a limb here and state that there is evidence  that certain people have certain tendencies in the neurology which increase massively both impulsive and high risk behaviour.

Those people types are drawn towards, wild sex often, drugs, alcohol, reckless car driving or bike riding and the list goes on..............  The studies have been done.

The same said people also continue to engage in sex, sometimes unprotected as the neuro-factors over ride the logic button.

 

I am not saying this is all, just a significant number for whom the world's best advise, will always be over ridden by pleasure promises of the dopamine or serotonin kind. It is a very complex topic to FULLY and I mean FULLY understand and so rather than allow your current information on this topic to be enough for a confirmation bias conclusion, new research as new studies ahve been done is essential. I feel sorry for such people.

 

https://bradfordhealth.com/the-link-between-drug-addiction-and-sexual-addiction/

Education and awareness is the Key....., so,it’s a start..

I am going to go out on a limb here and state that there is evidence  that certain people have certain tendencies in the neurology which increase massively both impulsive and high risk behaviour.
Those people types are drawn towards, wild sex often, drugs, alcohol, reckless car driving or bike riding and the list goes on..............  The studies have been done.
The same said people also continue to engage in sex, sometimes unprotected as the neuro-factors over ride the logic button.
 
I am not saying this is all, just a significant number for whom the world's best advise, will always be over ridden by pleasure promises of the dopamine or serotonin kind. It is a very complex topic to FULLY and I mean FULLY understand and so rather than allow your current information on this topic to be enough for a confirmation bias conclusion, new research as new studies ahve been done is essential. I feel sorry for such people.
 
https://bradfordhealth.com/the-link-between-drug-addiction-and-sexual-addiction/

Just say it... Gay men.... promiscuity and all those blood vessels up the back passage

Sent from my SM-G950F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

"...and annual fatality rate of 15,000 people."

 

So HIV / AIDS has a lower mortality rate than driving in Thailand. Which in a different thread gives " the total death toll in 2016 was 22,356"

 

 

 

1 hour ago, jonclark said:

"...and annual fatality rate of 15,000 people."

 

So HIV / AIDS has a lower mortality rate than driving in Thailand. Which in a different thread gives " the total death toll in 2016 was 22,356"

 

 

 

15,000 is high really. if they are taking their meds and looking after themselves properly then they should live as long as anyone else. i suspect alot of those in that figure weren't getting treatment