Thai Student Leaders Against Condom-vending...

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Thai student leaders against condom-vending machine on campus

BANGKOK: Student leaders from Thailand's high-education institutions have expressed opposition to the installment of condom-vending machines on campus, fearing it would encourage more sex activities among young students.

"We agreed that the timing is not right and that (the condom- vending machine plan) is not the best solution to fight the AIDS problem," the Student Union Network secretary-general Vitoon Chomchaipol was quoted by newspaper The Nation as saying on Thursday.

All but one of the seven board members attending Thursday's meeting voted against the Public Health Ministry's plan to install condom-vending machines on campus next year.

Having successfully encouraged 98 percent of the sex industry to use condoms, the Thai government was now concerned with youth having active sex life.

Only one third of young unmarried couples who had casual sex were thought to use condom, said the ministry earlier.

Vowing to campaign for 100 percent use of condoms among young people, the public health ministry recently installed 3,000 condom- vending machines in toilets of department stores, entertainment venues and other public areas to promote safe sex.

"Casual sex is a problem involving a small group of students," said Vitoon. "We are concerned that with easy access to condoms, the majority, who are reluctant now, will jump onto the bandwagon. "

Beating down annual HIV/AIDS infection cases from 140,000 of the 1991 to current 20,000 cases a year, Thailand now was faced with challenges of increasing prevalence among youths having active sex life, experts warned.

Source: Agencies

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Update:

Thai government drops plan for condom machines at universities

BANGKOK, Thailand - Thailand, whose unabashed promotion of condom use for safe sex helped turn the tide in the battle against AIDS (news - web sites), has drawn the line at putting condom vending machines in universities, a health ministry official said Monday.

Widespread and outspoken opposition to the idea has caused the government to scuttle its recently announced plans, said Dr. Sombat Thanprasertsuk, speaking at a news conference on World AIDS day.

Opponents of the idea claimed the machines would encourage promiscuity among students. Supporters said it would fight infection by encouraging safe sex among young people who would otherwise have unprotected sex.

"We may propose this again when society feels ready," said Sombat, director of the Bureau for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Sexually-Transmitted Infections.

He said the health authorities did not wish to alienate those people in charge of educational institutions "because we want to work with them."

But he added that "condoms should be accessible by all because we know that society has changed."

"There are more youth engaging in casual sex without protection," Sombat said. "Condom promotion will be among the top priorities that we must pursue... We know that prevention is still better than a cure."

Although Thailand has a thriving commercial sex industry and a tradition of male promiscuity, conservative attitudes continue to reign in public about sexual behavior.

Such attitudes were partially overcome when, facing a potential public health disaster from AIDS, the government in 1991 began an intensive campaign to promote condom use, including their free distribution at sex venues.

It also pioneered a "100 percent" strategy, seeking to ensure that condoms are used in every sexual transaction between a sex worker and customer. That campaign has since become a model for neighboring countries.

At the height of its HIV (news - web sites) epidemic in 1991, Thailand saw 142,819 new infections. But with the help of social and religious programs and the 100 percent condom-use campaign, the number of new infections fell to 23,676 last year.

He said the government is now working to put condom vending machines in bathrooms of department stores and bus stations. Two state-subsidized condoms will cost 5 baht (US$0.13), compared to over-the-counter prices of about 40 baht (US$1.02) for a pack of three for a premium brand such as Durex.

Health authorities also announced Monday that they expected to be able to provide free anti-retroviral drugs to 50,000 Thais with HIV by the end of next year. Almost 1 million of Thailand's 63 million people are believed to carry the virus. About 15,000 people are already receiving free treatment.

The Government Pharmaceutical Organization last year began producing a single-pill anti-HIV cocktail, a combination of three generic drugs that slow down the replication of HIV. The cocktail replaced expensive imported drugs that were originally provided to Thai HIV carriers.

By producing the cocktail, Thailand has been able to bring down the cost of monthly treatment to about 1,200 baht (US$30) per person from the 20,000 to 30,000 baht (US$500-750) a month it would have originally cost with patented foreign drugs.

--Yahoo! News