Thai Wives Can Insist On Condoms

[george]

Wives can insist on condoms

BANGKOK: -- The use of condoms will soon be made legally mandatory at the insistence of wives or girlfriends during sex, a Bangkok seminar was told yesterday.

Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla repeated his message that laws on social issues and gender equality were now primary solutions for Aids problems, as per an agreement reached at a recent Geneva meeting of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids.

As a result of the Geneva meeting, the gender issue would later be formulated into laws in a number of countries including Thailand, which would give legal protection to women whose sex partners refused to use condoms during sex. Mongkol expressed concern over high suicide rates of up to 30 per cent reported in developed Asian countries among Aids patients stressed out by public disgust. No such surveys have been taken here.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva floated Aids awareness as a citizens' agenda for his party's political campaign ahead of the election expected late this year. He expressed suspicion over the official number of Aids patients reported in Thailand, saying it might be much lower than the actual population of patients.

-- The Nation 2007-07-05

[astral]

So we will have the Condom Police checking all the bedrooms in the country.

[Big A]

So we will have the Condom Police checking all the bedrooms in the country.

No way. The boys in that particular shade of brown are already too busy checking the Aap Op Nuats on Rama 9 & New Phetburi roads to do private homes!!!

[garro]

I can imagine the media uproar when the first farang of the RC persuassion is put in jail and claims to be a 'prisoner of conscience'.

[jayjayjayjay]

So we will have the Condom Police checking all the bedrooms in the country.

No problem, just keep old ones as proof!!!!!

[Ijustwannateach]

Regardless of whether or not this is immediately enforceable, it is a very important social and psychological gesture. It is a political statement that women have the right to control their reproductive lives, and the right to protect themselves through safe sex.

The only thing left lacking (and a big lack it is, too) is the right for wives to say "no" to their husbands- in other words, marital rape is not a crime at the moment. Perhaps this right will open the door to consciousness of that right.

"Steven"

[sbk]

Thanks for stating the obvious IJWT. Seems some people can't think the law through. Its astounding to me that they should even have to pass a law giving a woman the right to demand a condom from her husband, especially considered AIDS and the prevalence among heterosexual men in Thailand who visit prostitutes. A friend of mine died about 12 years ago from AIDS given to her by her husband, who in his turn, got it from visiting prostitutes before marriage.

Just to put a realistic spin on this for all those who find it funny

[lazeeboy]

Thanks for stating the obvious IJWT. Seems some people can't think the law through. Its astounding to me that they should even have to pass a law giving a woman the right to demand a condom from her husband, especially considered AIDS and the prevalence among heterosexual men in Thailand who visit prostitutes. A friend of mine died about 12 years ago from AIDS given to her by her husband, who in his turn, got it from visiting prostitutes before marriage.

Just to put a realistic spin on this for all those who find it funny

the biggest carrier of aids in thailand as rightly put by sbk is the thai bofreind/husband never want to wear a condom ,but us farangs get the blame when 90% of us always wear wetsuit ........

[LaoPo]

Thanks for stating the obvious IJWT. Seems some people can't think the law through. Its astounding to me that they should even have to pass a law giving a woman the right to demand a condom from her husband, especially considered AIDS and the prevalence among heterosexual men in Thailand who visit prostitutes. A friend of mine died about 12 years ago from AIDS given to her by her husband, who in his turn, got it from visiting prostitutes before marriage.

Just to put a realistic spin on this for all those who find it funny

Sensitive subject....

However, I fail to see HOW on earth this law (and the rights for women to demand a condom from their husbands, of course) could ever be implemented...in reality, knowing that visiting prostitutes is anchored within a large % of the Thai male society.

In reality, this law, will be virtually impossible to implement.

Meaning: IF the Lady spouse would demand a condom from her husband, she would know her husband is visiting prostitutes, right? (or having a Mia Noi).

And..........she would have to ask him so for the rest of her/his -sexual- life....

Thousands of fights and arguments would break out every night in thousands of villages and cities throughout the country.

Not a nice future for the neighbours...

Hmmm....difficult and impossible law.

LaoPo

[cooL_guY_corY]

when 90% of us always wear wetsuit ........

that sure sounds like a concrete fact..

[Ping]

Isn't it about time that someone blamed Thaksin for the aids problem in Thailand?

[Big A]

Isn't it about time that someone blamed Thaksin for the aids problem in Thailand?

That's a good idea!!

[TopDogger]

So we will have the Condom Police checking all the bedrooms in the country.

They do it in Malaysia

[astral]

So we will have the Condom Police checking all the bedrooms in the country.

They do it in Malaysia

But only if you are the "right" religion.

[farangsay]

I can imagine the media uproar when the first farang of the RC persuassion is put in jail and claims to be a 'prisoner of conscience'.

I presume that is a "sick humour" reference to Catholic bishops in Africa who maintain their sect's extrordinary attitude despite the fact that it is condemning innocent women to death.

Regardless of whether or not this is immediately enforceable, it is a very important social and psychological gesture. It is a political statement that women have the right to control their reproductive lives, and the right to protect themselves through safe sex.

The only thing left lacking (and a big lack it is, too) is the right for wives to say "no" to their husbands- in other words, marital rape is not a crime at the moment. Perhaps this right will open the door to consciousness of that right.

"Steven"

:D

Thanks for stating the obvious IJWT. Seems some people can't think the law through. Its astounding to me that they should even have to pass a law giving a woman the right to demand a condom from her husband, especially considered AIDS and the prevalence among heterosexual men in Thailand who visit prostitutes. A friend of mine died about 12 years ago from AIDS given to her by her husband, who in his turn, got it from visiting prostitutes before marriage.

Just to put a realistic spin on this for all those who find it funny

SBK this law might seem unnecessary but as IJWT it is a small step in the right direction. It is obviously pretty unenforcable and purely symbolic but it is an improvement on a recent "law" which balanced the right of a husband to rape his wife by one permitting a wife to rape her husband.

[rainman]

...which would give legal protection to women whose sex partners refused to use condoms during sex.

How does that give a woman "legal protection"? Could it be that in the future we are going to see a lot more lawsuits from women against their husbands, going something like:

Wife: He raped me!

Husband: I did not!

Judge: Is there any DNA evidence (sperm, for the lay person) available?

Wife: No, he used a condom.

And the judge will probably feel that's enough evidence to sentence the husband.

[soic]

People always blow these things out of proportion. There shouldn't have to be a law to demand that a spouse wear "protection". If I thought my wife was promiscuous, I would demand to wear one. I know that here in Thailand a woman would find it almost, if not, impossible to file rape charges against her husband, even if he did rape her. To me, it's a small price to pay for a life.

As a "superior" species, there shouldn't have to be many of the laws that we have. Such as laws against:

Spouse abuse, Child abuse, Murder, Rape, Kidnapping and Theft. We should be able to police ourselves, but as a species, we don't. Therefore we have to create laws to protect the innocent. That being said, there's nothing wrong with protecting innocent people from being victimized, whether it be by a stranger or a loved one.

I just can't wait to hear the fire storm for that one, but the truth is the truth.

[chanchao]

BANGKOK: -- The use of condoms will soon be made legally mandatory at the insistence of wives or girlfriends during sex

I was already getting worried that prostitutes were given the same right.. Phew!

[Ijustwannateach]

As I said, it's not enforceable- but what it means is that women will be talking to each other, and hopefully to men, about their rights and about the ideas. After all, for laws to work the societies involved really have to back them up- you can't police everyone all the time. What this announcement does is ensure that the next generation of children will be told by their teachers and parents that it is important and legal for women to have these measures of control over their lives and bodies (and hopefully the health teachers will be given even more reason to speak out about safe sex and condoms).

[ajarnmark]

Wives can insist on condoms

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva floated Aids awareness as a citizens' agenda for his party's political campaign ahead of the election expected late this year. He expressed suspicion over the official number of Aids patients reported in Thailand, saying it might be much lower than the actual population of patients.

-- The Nation 2007-07-05

Does he have anything for the economic conditions of the country?

[meom]

Just another headache I don't need. After finally having figured out a condo allowance for the mia I have to include a condom allowance as well? I'm not a walking bank so who's going to pay for all this?

[soic]

Just another headache I don't need. After finally having figured out a condo allowance for the mia I have to include a condom allowance as well? I'm not a walking bank so who's going to pay for all this?

Let the Thai wife get Pi$$ed about the mia, and she'll pull a Lorena Bobbit on you, and then you won't need the condoms, the mia or the wife. Talk about saving money... just that one time visit to the hospital to stop the bleeding and you're set.

[meom]

Good idea Soic. Best I invest some dough in a good thermos so at least I can preserve the equipment when required

[geriatrickid]

The article must be read within it's appropriate context. It is part of the relaunch of an overall HIV containment strategy. Thailand had abandoned its well regarded HIV prevention strategy for the past 3 years or so. HIV has come back with a vengeance. His priority is to contain the crisis again and he'll be doing it with limited support and resources.

I have my differences with Dr. Mongkol Na Songkhla on many pharmaceutical issues, but I respect him. He is one of the few health ministers in the world that is qualified for the job. He has an MPH in tropical medicine as well as the basic MD. More importantly he has gotten his hands dirty at the local level both in providing medical care and in acting as an administrative Chief Medical Officer. He knows what he is doing. He is the one that helped bring back former health minister Mechai Viravaidya (aka Mr. Condom) to revive the HIV control strategy. When it comes to devising and implementing public health strategies, there is no one better able to do it than Dr. Mongkol Na Songkhla. He's tough, honest and held in high regard by public health specialists throughout the world.

If you want to understand what he is trying to do, please read the interview with him from the May 24, 2007 edition of Asia Source.

http://www.asiasource.org/news/special_rep...thai_health.cfm

He knows his priorities and I hope that people give him the support and respect he deserves.

(And no, I am not paid by anyone associated with his ministry.)