Dr Praphan Phanuphak, Director of Thai Red Cross Aids Research Center, presented the results of a random sample of 400 male prostitutes working in Bangkok. The recorded incidence of HIV infection among them, he said, had risen to 27%, up from just 10% from last year, and increase of 170%.

Dr Praphan explained that unlike the US, where most men who have homosexual relations tend to be exclusively gay, in Thailand there is a high rate of bisexuality. Many men who have sex with other men are also involved in heterosexual relationships and risk spreading the virus to their wives and children.

He noted that although most men understand that they can protect themselves with condoms, few actually do so. He said his research showed that only about 20% of men who engage in homosexual sex use prophylactics.

Conversely, certain Thais are unfaithful with partners of EITHER sex and pick up the virus from their unfaithful wives (who picked it up from *their* boyfriends) and pass it on to their "monogamous" boyfriends! I'd admit that the gays are probably more fickle overall.

I've known a lot of married older gays in the U.S. who had flings on the side which could theoretically have presented a risk to their wives- not as unusual there as the good Dr. perhaps believes.

The unsafe attitude towards condoms is a problem here [had to educate a couple of partners to use them *even with men*, and there's sometimes also a money issue in people being able to afford them- for the poor, sex is cheap recreation], and everywhere. Condoms aren't as much fun, but use 'em, folks.

"Steven"

Many people know very well the risks involved and are unfortunately ignorant about them....it is easy to say things like 'To each his own' and 'It's their own lives and they have the right to take risks upon themselves if they want to' BUT of course some of these people affect the lives of other people around them (i.e. their other sex partners) so it is not a simple situation.

I myself have always fancied giving unprotected oral sex but have never done it...even though there is still no total agreement amongst the experts, more than a few have put forward strong arguments that there is quite a risk in unprotected oral sex for both parties (I am not sure if this is with some mouth-bleeding only), especially for the giver. Of course there is risk EVEN with a condom use (I think that about 1-2 percent of condoms might fail to fully protect).

Regards,

Jem