Over 1 Million Thais Are Infected With Hiv/Aids

[Lite Beer]

Over 1 million Thais are infected with HIV/AIDs

BANGKOK, 18 March 2012 (NNT) - The Public Health Ministry reports that the number of HIV/AIDs patients in Thailand is on the rise with over 1 million patients currently.

At the annual HIV/AIDs conference held in Chiang Mai, Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri disclosed that HIV/AIDs is an incurable chronic disease of which more than 1 million patients have been reported to be infected.

According to Mr. Wittaya , 25 percent of the total diagnosed patients are in the working group aged between 30-34. While unprotected sex is the major risk factor which accounts for as high as 84 percent, premature and unprotected sex among secondary school and vocational students is becoming more of a problem.

The Public Health Minister added that this year the National Health Security Office (NHSO) has set nearly 3 billion baht as a budget for HIV/AIDs care and treatment while planning to increase the budget to 3.5 billion baht for next year.

-- NNT 2012-03-18

[Jingthing]

About the same number of HIV infected as in the U.S.A. which has about five times the population. Not good.

[12DrinkMore]

Meechai needs to start up another campaign.

Clearly the Thai's have, in general, a very short memory span.

[garrya]

Worrisome. So every 60th person affected

[Bengt]

Wonder how many females?

[TAWP]

Full breakdown of age and occupation would help.

[lomatopo]

Worrisome. So every 60th person affected

Reading the article it seems like the 1 million figure is those currently identified as infected, and receiving treatment. It would seem logical that the actual figure of those infected is somewhat greater?

Edited March 18, 2012 by lomatopo

[PattayaPhom]

The statements seem to contradict themselves...Is it one million currently or one million reported since records began 30 years ago..slightly misleading, as if you take away under 18s over 60s that leaves a very large percentage of the population with a problem.

[Boater]

Worrisome. So every 60th person affected

Reading the article it seems like the 1 million figure is those currently identified as infected, and receiving treatment. It would seem logical that the actual figure of those infected is somewhat greater?

so in theory , it would be double?

[londonthai]

"While unprotected sex is the major risk factor which accounts for as high as 84 percent, premature and unprotected sex among secondary school and vocational students is becoming more of a problem."

not sure, what they were trying to say, looks like a moral campaign than health concern

[makescents]

Figures.

My current and previous girlfriends had no clue about contraceptives and STDs.

[harleyclarkey]

As with most countries this is the figure that they are fairly confident about. The real figure is much higher.

What a shame something so pleasurable and so much fun...sex, can now be like playing Russian Roulette.

[upena]

Wonder how many not reported or mis-diagnosed

[UbonOz]

As with most countries this is the figure that they are fairly confident about. The real figure is much higher.

What a shame something so pleasurable and so much fun...sex, can now be like playing Russian Roulette.

Once upon a time motor racing was dangerous and sex was safe, now it is vice versa

[CMTourist]

Figures.

My current and previous girlfriends had no clue about contraceptives and STDs.

When I first came here 20 years ago every girl insisted on condom use for fear of HIV. Now they all say they don't like condoms and don't want me to use one. And I'm not talking about hookers here, but girls you would consider educated and with an ability to think about the future.

The 20-25 age group in particular seem to have no fear of HIV at all.

[PaulHamon]

1 million Thais / 3.5 billion baht for next year

3,500 Baht per person....

I was at a orphange for children born with HIV, dropped off by parents at the door, or have passed away.

around 100 children, thru no fault of their own

was very sad... no government funding, there is a temple next door..

the head-monk build a super high wall to block them out.... not his problem, they're all bad people.

very say...

was there as songkran last year, spend a week with them, installing masive water collection tanks donated by Aussie charity.

the orphange was spending to much money they had on purchasing enough water to keep the kids clean.

[klubex99]

Hmmmmm Nice to see that they are increasing the budget from 3 baht per infected patient, to a staggering 3.5 baht per infected patient.... Won't even buy half a paracetamol.

Yet look at that budget compared with the latest report on ministerial salaries being sucked out of the economy. One guy already had about 13.5 million baht in his first 6 months in office..... Is it just me?

Woooops misread it... Billion = 3500 baht... thats more like it $115 makes a lot of different.

Edited March 18, 2012 by klubex99

[harrycallahan]

This map says it was 1-2 % in 2008, so about the same (I'm guessing their very round 1 million figure is an estimate)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HIV_Epidem.png

Still if that's the general population then for working girls and boy it must be much higher, perhaps 5 % is not unrealistic.

[happysanook]

the number of infected is definitely way higher as they have no way of knowing those who haven't tested or wont.

unless the estimate is already factoring this in...

and on another side note, the typical HIV subtype (subtype e) in thailand is far more likely to be transmitted by heterosexual sex than the typical subtype (subtype B ) in the west... (80% hetero transfer in thai compared to 10% in the west)...

crap, the B ) coming out as a guy with sunglasses.

Edited March 18, 2012 by happysanook

[Robroy]

With 1 in 60 Thais infected, that would surely mean a much higher proportion among sex workers.

One in 7?

One in 5?

(Here in Cambodia it's one in 8.)

[dude007]

Wonder how many females?

me too: more than males...

[klubex99]

This map says it was 1-2 % in 2008, so about the same (I'm guessing their very round 1 million figure is an estimate)

Still if that's the general population then for working girls and boy it must be much higher, perhaps 5 % is not unrealistic.

I would assume in the tourist areas it is lower than in the boonies up north and in Isaan. Where it is mostly Thai men doing the business.

[csolgosz]

Enforcing sex education in ALL schools and in a National TV program would help. Not mentioned in the budget expenditure - not important maybe. Wouldn't like to admit that it REALLY happens...

[dude007]

any statistics on Hepathitis A, B and C?

[tonypace02]

Figures.

My current and previous girlfriends had no clue about contraceptives and STDs.

When I first came here 20 years ago every girl insisted on condom use for fear of HIV. Now they all say they don't like condoms and don't want me to use one. And I'm not talking about hookers here, but girls you would consider educated and with an ability to think about the future.

The 20-25 age group in particular seem to have no fear of HIV at all.

Two years ago a 38 year old woman I was dating but had made no commitment to said the same thing to me. I learned later that she believed, correctly in fact, that if she got pregnant by me, I would marry her. She did not know, however, that I had had a vasectomy when I was 35. Being 25 and single, most likely they are also looking to become spouses of farang.

[anterian]

There is a hidden problem in this, this HIV virus is adapting to its human host and becoming less aggressive, put simply where at one time infection was a one year death sentence, now it is more like 5 to 10 years. Putting this in perspective it means a much longer period of support and medication for those infected.

[kirk0233]

This seems to be rather old news. According to the Thai Red Cross: AIDS started to spread into Thailand in 1984. As of 31 July 2000, a total of 149,266 people were reported to suffer from full-blown AIDS. It was estimated, however, that approximately 1 million people or 1 out of 60 people nationwide were infected with HIV. When considering only the population between 20-40 years of age, the ratio was 1 out of 40. AIDS was the number one cause of death in several major provinces surpassing heart disease, cancer and accidents. Men account for two thirds of all AIDS deaths because the illness spread among men before it infected women. http://english.redcross.or.th/content/page/954

[josephinebloggs]

About the same number of HIV infected as in the U.S.A. which has about five times the population. Not good.

Not good, but not surprising in the slightest.

[johnh101]

Not wanting an argument.....but.....

I remember reading an article a few years ago that said that the profession in Thailand with the highest incidence of Aids / HIV was actually long distance lorry drivers who haul Thai goods across all the neighboring countries in SE Asia.

[BookMan]

With the number of foreign men that come here and also have unprotected sex it becomes a much larger problem, not just a Thailand problem.

All the men heading back to Australia, USA, UK, Europe, Russia, India , Korea etcetera etcetera with the chance they can pass it on to their wife/GF/next partner.