Are Thais Still Scared Of Aids

[Surin steve]

I've had 3 conversations just lately that's made me wonder the first was with a group of lads age 18 -20 they where talking (bragging ) about all the girls they've slept with,and when I asked them aren't they worried about AIDs there answer was "why if you catch it you don't die anymore"

The second conversation was with a 65 year old farang he told me he wasn't bothered about H I V any more because a cure was just around the corner

And the last conversation was with a group of middle aged Thai women they where talking about a friend of there's who had H I V and where saying stuff like it's not so bad , look how long she's lived so far, she don't look sick est est one of the women even went as far as to say it was all most worth having H I V for the small income she receives every month from the state

My point is alot of Thais and even some farang seem to be less worried about catching H I V and this could cause future problems

[damo]

I could think of better things to do.

The attitude I found up-counrty was that if you don't get tested then you'll never get it.

[Jingthing]

It's not on the radar so much that's for sure. Thailand is still a hard hit country for HIV. It's especially tragic when young people get it.

[Pseudolus]

Thai's typically know nothing about anything - the media deliberately keep them that way assuming they bother to read news. Hardly surprising they do not see HIV is an issue.

[hookedondhamma]

Thai's typically know nothing about anything - the media deliberately keep them that way assuming they bother to read news. Hardly surprising they do not see HIV is an issue.

I wouldn't necessarily say that, though I will say:

While I was staying in Isaan, I got a bad rash from the Lux 'Bleach me out soap' (just kidding, the name is White Impress or something like that). One of my friends saw it and said it could possibly be 'Heitch Ai Wee'.

A few months later I was in Lopburi watching a sly male trying to court another, when he did something that messed up his elbow. 'Could it be Eht (AIDS)?' he asked.

I was helping lift solid wood tables and other items while the flood of Lopburi 11' was beginning to wreak havoc. As a consequence, it took a few days and my lower back was in some pain. My friend received some dry fish that day and gave it to me - why? Because I was lacking calcium, so my back was hurting. At that point I just gave up, lol.

I have no reason as to why it isn't acknowledged more, but then again I wasn't born here, and I've since learned the hard way trying to explain to somchai that a riding lawnmower shouldn't be used to attempt to cut rocks, that it is none of my business to try and introduce a new view.

Point being I think there are those who know, and those who don't. What is important to a thai is important to a thai, or any other nationality, for that matter. Possibly the, 'It happens to everyone else but it won't happen to me', thing.

Edited August 19, 2012 by hookedondhamma

[Surin steve]

I was lucky enough to come to Thailand in the early 80s so had 4 or 5 years without the worry of AIDs then we went through the 90s with sex workers sometimes demanding 2 condoms be used together now it seems there's more and more girls prepared to take the risk ,when I ask now if I need a condom the usual answer is "up to you"

[phuturatica]

I think like majority of the young generation in Western culture... They have become less worried about it and it has been put to the back of their minds. I'm 24 years old therefore I come from that young generation and not many people see it as an issue in my general perspective.

Not too sure about Thai people mind but I have been told several times that some Thai guys hate to use condoms and sometimes outright refuse to do so.

My motto: "If its got no glove, you're getting no love."

[Surin steve]

I know one guy in my village who never uses a condom because he is protected by his "Lucky Buddhist pendant " !!!!!

[pattayadingo]

All the women here I have had relationships with have been worried about STD's and HIV. Better those type of women than those who do not seem to care, thank you very much!!

[Riley'sLife]

The majority of Thais are Buddhist, and as such they believe that their destiny has already been determined. So, what's the point of worrying about getting aids, wearing a motorcycle helmet, looking right before entering a main road, planning for the future, or considering any form of consequence.

"Cause and effect", "planning", and "responsibility" are western concepts. If you were to observe the way Thai village children -particularly the boys- are raised lacking any form of parental or adult nurture other than encouragement to "Wai", you would understand why Thailand is so morally bankrupt and poorly educated.

[smokie36]

The only sex education I ever received was “Use a condom“.

Oh well.....

[phuturatica]

I never got any sex education because I went to an all girls Catholic school run by nuns. I'm going to hell apparently.

[loong]

About 10 years ago, it seemed that everyone was worried about AIDS. Not the same now though.

I have known many people that have died since I've been in Thailand. but only one has died because of AIDS. It's probably the same for most people, they don't know of people that have actually died from it so why worry?

[travelmann]

I never got any sex education because I went to an all girls Catholic school run by nuns. I'm going to hell apparently.

Dont worry everything they taught you from the words " in the beginning" onwards were lies you come into the world and dont know youll exit the same way

[brit1984]

I was lucky enough to come to Thailand in the early 80s so had 4 or 5 years without the worry of AIDs then we went through the 90s with sex workers sometimes demanding 2 condoms be used together now it seems there's more and more girls prepared to take the risk ,when I ask now if I need a condom the usual answer is "up to you"

Classy

Sent from iPhone; please forgive any typos or violations of forum rules

[metisdead]

Some overly derogatory posts have been removed.

[phuturatica]

I never got any sex education because I went to an all girls Catholic school run by nuns. I'm going to hell apparently.

Dont worry everything they taught you from the words " in the beginning" onwards were lies you come into the world and dont know youll exit the same way

Wait, what? I'm going to exit this world kicking and screaming back into my Mum's vagina?!

[travelmann]

I never got any sex education because I went to an all girls Catholic school run by nuns. I'm going to hell apparently.

Dont worry everything they taught you from the words " in the beginning" onwards were lies you come into the world and dont know youll exit the same way

Wait, what? I'm going to exit this world kicking and screaming back into my Mum's vagina?!

Yeah but she might need to take a deeper breath on your exit

[phuturatica]

I never got any sex education because I went to an all girls Catholic school run by nuns. I'm going to hell apparently.

Dont worry everything they taught you from the words " in the beginning" onwards were lies you come into the world and dont know youll exit the same way

Wait, what? I'm going to exit this world kicking and screaming back into my Mum's vagina?!

Yeah but she might need to take a deeper breath on your exit

[geriatrickid]

HIV is still considered an epidemic in Thailand. It is a costly long term illness and it is anything but easy to live with. All that the current medications available in Thailand can do is to prolong life, but it comes at a physical cost. Bit by bit the body deteriorates over time. People don't think about it because;

1. Government prevention & education programs have been slashed.

2. It is easier to live in denial.

Thailand is a reservoir of the virus. It doesn't take much to make a managed epidemic roar back to life and Thailand is at a tipping point. It is why the public health community has been waving redflags for the past 2 years. The fact still remains that sex workers in Thailand still have a significantly high infection rate and the workers willing to forgo safe sex are most likely to already be infected.

[jacktrip]

in a country with such a sex scene, it's rarely discussed. people just don't talk about it.

the attitude extends to other problems in the country as well.

[h90]

The only sex education I ever received was "Use a condom".

Oh well.....

But that covers already 100 % of the biggest problems (getting sick and unwanted pregnancy)

[Surin steve]

I would say you are less likely to catch AIDs in a go go bar type of place than going with some of the more sexually active girls up country

[brit1984]

I would say you are less likely to catch AIDs in a go go bar type of place than going with some of the more sexually active girls up country

Maybe... and maybe you are less likely to cause a fatal car accident if you drive with your hands in your pockets compared to driving with your eyes closed.

[krisb]

We knew about the serious aids problem in Thailand growing up in Australia throughout the 80s and 90s. My dad who has clubs in BKK was interviewed on the telly on the Aussie show 4 corners regarding the problem of falang going to Thailand and contracting HIV and bringing the disease back home.. It was quite a big and forefront issue back then. Now days it seems to be back down the list and its probably because the money used to promote awareness is no longer being spent on the issue.

[krisb]

I would say you are less likely to catch AIDs in a go go bar type of place than going with some of the more sexually active girls up country

Maybe... and maybe you are less likely to cause a fatal car accident if you drive with your hands in your pockets compared to driving with your eyes closed.

Exactly.

[cdnvic]

Putting this in the health forum where it should attract more serious discussion. Conspiracy theories and misinformation have been removed.

[Oli23]

Hi,

First of all, yes, Aids is totally away from people mind. ANd you don't see any advertising 'against' it, the youngests are more wild than before and have sex on an early age, and a lot of different partners.

Second of all, don't say 'Thais', cause you can see this all around the world (almost), when it doesn't affect you directly, the human still so dam_n stupid that he keeps feel that nothing could kill him, as epathite, drunk driving, polluating...

I can tell you that in west Europe they don't think about it, they just put a condom to don't have a baby... Even foreigners with prostitutes here...

blame the human to repeat his own history

[Swiss1960]

I can only say that the majority of the girls I know / knew over the last years have all been very aware of the HIV / STD problems... and I think the question of protection is very much a question of how desperate they are to find a boyfriend falang (i.e. finding money...). I have made the experience that most of the girls I knew wanted to use a condom and / or go to the hospital for a full sexual health check before committing to no protection.

Also want to mention that awareness about HIV / Aids did also go down in Europe, at least according to all the Aids foundations... since today, you can live almost without any problems even when having HIV in your body, since today's medicaments have almost no side-effects and since their are reports that say that today's medicaments can get HIV viruses almost completely out of your body (check comes up negative), people think that this sickness has been more or less eliminated / been brought under control...

Personally, I have not taken any risk in the past and I will not in the future, no matter how good todays drugs can fight HIV.

[Surin steve]

Same as above post I never take chances

One scary thing about the facts above though what if the girl had HIV and was taking medication ,if she gets a farang boyfriend and for what ever reason dos'nt want him to know she will show up negative on a blood test could the farang then catch HIV from her