500,000 Thais infected with HIV but only half of them get treatment

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500,000 Thais infected with HIV but only half of them get treatment



BANGKOK: -- About 500,000 Thais are infected with HIV and only half of them knew the results of their positive blood tests and have entered into treatment programme, said public health permanent secretary Dr Narong Sahamethapat today (Thursday).

Dr Narong made the disclosure at a press conference on the topic of “Six benefits for HIV blood tests”.

He said that the Public Health Ministry focused on reducing the number of new HIV cases to zero under the “getting to zero” campaign and also attempt to reduce the fatality rate to zero and to reduce the problem of stigmatization confronted by HIV sufferers.

Meanwhile, Mr Apiwat Kwangkaew, president of the network of HIV sufferers, admitted that it was rather difficult for someone to decide to have their blood samples tested for HIV and also very worrisome for those who have undergone the tests to find out whether they were tested positive or negative.

However, he said that the problem has eased somewhat as people infected with the virus have more and better access to treatment today and it was the case a decade ago.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/500000-thais-infected-hiv-half-get-treatment/


-- Thai PBS 2014-06-19

[UbonRatch]

"However, he said that the problem has eased somewhat as people infected with the virus have more and better access to treatment today and it was the case a decade ago."

and or than (or then, for the uneducated)?

Ration of male to female would help also, in assessing how and where the disease is contracted and spread.

Typical results of a Thai study; there are no references, no realistic data, no assessments of sex related (in this case) indicators, nor is there any closely related doctoral report.

Audacity to say things are much better than ten years ago (assuming it is simply bad reported language), when half or more do not recieve treatment, or return for results of being positive or not... sad indeed.....

[Costas2008]

As I said before, having personal experience living in Hospital accommodation, half the Thais get treatment for HIV, because they refuse to go to the hospital and get any medicine.

Even the ones that are prescribed the medicine refuse or ignore taking them.

Face loss is the highest factor, and they keep infecting other people due to their ignorance.

Everybody can have an HIV test in a hospital, and the results are confidential.

Not many do.

During my 7 year stay in Thailand, I haven't noticed a real campaign and awareness to the public about HIV infection.

Hope it's one of the military's tasks to do it in the near future.

[Prbkk]

As I said before, having personal experience living in Hospital accommodation, half the Thais get treatment for HIV, because they refuse to go to the hospital and get any medicine.

Even the ones that are prescribed the medicine refuse or ignore taking them.

Face loss is the highest factor, and they keep infecting other people due to their ignorance.

Everybody can have an HIV test in a hospital, and the results are confidential.

Not many do.

During my 7 year stay in Thailand, I haven't noticed a real campaign and awareness to the public about HIV infection.

Hope it's one of the military's tasks to do it in the near future.

Mechai Viravaidya ran one of the most successful HIV education programs in the world ( 80s and 90s). It does seem to have gone off the rails in recent years.

[cooked]

You won't believe this but there are ladies that decide to 'go work in Pattaya' that don't know anything about condoms, STDs or aids. The ones with aids come back to the village to die, denying that they are ill out of shame even though everyone knows. This means that they will have been transmitting HIV for a year or more. STDs? My wife is the one that takes them to the hospital and tells them that she won't take them again and explains things that 12 year olds know about in Europe. I was in a bus station in Chonburi one time when a very attractive, well turned out lady (loudly) called her husband to tell him she was coming home, she had green and yellow discharge so she be would sleeping in a separate room. Unhappily, her French boyfriend was hovering around in some obvious distress at her leaving so abruptly, not understanding anything. Maybe he does now.

I despise sex tourists.

[The stuttering parrot]

Cabbages and condoms was is another that seems to have also gone of the boil!

Sex education is the only way to get the kids on board and no tap dancing around the subject at school level they have to be graphic about protection and the consequences of not using it and not only for aids but unwanted pregnancies at a young age which is a national past time!

[UbonRatch]

I despise sex tourists.

What initially attracted you to Thailand then? Buddhism and wats? The food? Atmospehere? Or were you a defunct, Vietnam left-over?

You can't BS a BSer, and believe you me... there's plenty of us here.

[cooked]

I despise sex tourists.

What initially attracted you to Thailand then? Buddhism and wats? The food? Atmospehere? Or were you a defunct, Vietnam left-over?

You can't BS a BSer, and believe you me... there's plenty of us here.

None of your business but I found a good woman, good in every respect. On top of that my meagre pension goes a lot further here than back home. I had more than my fair share without paying for it back home. I probably got some of other peoples' share also and I never paid for it. I can't envisage betraying my wife, something that you of course would never understand. If you read what I wrote before you should understand that I have every reason to despise sex tourists that come to Thailand and insist on unprotected sex, spread their disgusting diseases around and then go back home. There are so many places that I have to avoid now, I can't stand the sight of these 'men of the world, seen it all, screwed 'em all hansum men. I despise them.

I see simple naive village girls going off 'down there' and coming back completely disillusioned and disgusted with Farangs. That's why they start ripping them off the second time they go down there.

[thaiman]

I have every reason to despise sex tourists that come to Thailand and insist on unprotected sex, spread their disgusting diseases around and then go back home.

Blame it all on the sex tourists! You sound more like a Thai than a farang. Ah, the ignorance.

[DoctorB]

Please, I am asking this out of a desire simply to know the facts. I don't want a diatribe about sex tourists and HIV but...

Although HIV is no walk in the park it is generally acknowledged that current treatments (HAART; ie highly aggressive anti-retroroviral therapy) is very effective, and patients can expect to lead a near normal life span if they take 1 or maybe 2 pills a day. The down side being that the drugs are very expensive.

Most western countries make the drugs available free or very cheaply; eg completely free in UK.

What I have not been able to find out is, does the Thai government make them available to its citizens at a price that the poor ( or even bar girls) can afford?

This, and totally confidential treatment as per the west, is surely what really matters. Anyone know?

[DavidBonnie]

Cooked, the girls and the families of the girls are engaged ina factory style rip=off before they ever go to Pattaya or Bangkok. They don't care if a guy is a sex tourist, a temple touris or a bullshit tourist, they are out to set themselves and their families up for life becasue that's easier than working and much more lucrative than working in a 'normal' job if you are uneducated or lazy.

Despise sex tourists all you want but at least the financial exchange favours the poor people. There is no middle-man, no tax, nothing declared, it's trade as it used to be long ago.

How can you tell a sex tourist from a temple <deleted> tourist? Are you judging people by the size of their beer belly or their penchant for innapropriate vests and drinking all day? In my experience, the young, good looking guys are at it just as much as the old guys it's just that the former pretend they don't.

[DavidBonnie]

Doctor B, I am not certain but I think the most contemporary drug regimes are not available cheaply here in Thailand. I have heard two stories that seem to support this. One about someone's dad (Thai) who died without medicine a couple of years ago and another about a girl who was only saved because she went to England and got treatment. I guess the big hospitals with big prices have the most effective medicines?

[UbonRatch]

I despise sex tourists.

What initially attracted you to Thailand then? Buddhism and wats? The food? Atmospehere? Or were you a defunct, Vietnam left-over?

You can't BS a BSer, and believe you me... there's plenty of us here.

None of your business but I found a good woman, good in every respect. On top of that my meagre pension goes a lot further here than back home. I had more than my fair share without paying for it back home. I probably got some of other peoples' share also and I never paid for it. I can't envisage betraying my wife, something that you of course would never understand. If you read what I wrote before you should understand that I have every reason to despise sex tourists that come to Thailand and insist on unprotected sex, spread their disgusting diseases around and then go back home. There are so many places that I have to avoid now, I can't stand the sight of these 'men of the world, seen it all, screwed 'em all hansum men. I despise them.

I see simple naive village girls going off 'down there' and coming back completely disillusioned and disgusted with Farangs. That's why they start ripping them off the second time they go down there.

Quote - "None of your business. I had more than my fair share without paying for it back home. There are so many places that I have to avoid now ..." - unquote....... Q.E.D.

"I can't envisage betraying my wife, something that you of course would never understand."........ WOW.. you know me and my character.... NOT!

You clearly admit your first intentions when arriving here, and yet (and I salute you) you are happy with a great wife.

You do not have the right to knock farangs who come here with intent, the same as you initially did. You sound like the ex-smoker choking on the smoker's fag, because you are so brilliant you gave up smoking.

I have no need to comment or divulge personal info about my wife... but believe me... I met her at Uni... not in a bar.

[rhythmworx]

Khun Mechai's 10 billion baht government budget has been long spent up, his campaign was successful back in the day if the figures given were correct and he now owns 2 hotel resorts for his efforts,

Maybe they need another budget to promote the awareness scheme, I'm more than sure there are people that will step up and lead it. How successful they will be though is another matter.

it needs to start at an early age in the schools, maybe they should do school tours to hospitals and let the kids see what the outcomes of having unprotected sex are.

[coppywriter]

Please, I am asking this out of a desire simply to know the facts. I don't want a diatribe about sex tourists and HIV but...

Although HIV is no walk in the park it is generally acknowledged that current treatments (HAART; ie highly aggressive anti-retroroviral therapy) is very effective, and patients can expect to lead a near normal life span if they take 1 or maybe 2 pills a day. The down side being that the drugs are very expensive.

Most western countries make the drugs available free or very cheaply; eg completely free in UK.

What I have not been able to find out is, does the Thai government make them available to its citizens at a price that the poor ( or even bar girls) can afford?

This, and totally confidential treatment as per the west, is surely what really matters. Anyone know?

The Thai Red Cross has a clinic in Bangkok where you can see a doctor and have the test.

Everything is anonymous as they do not ask for any identification etc. The most common ART drugs there cost 2,630.00 bht (aprox) for a 30 day supply, or you can also get the generic versions (from India) at a cost of 1,090.00 bht (aprox) for a 30 day supply.

The service is available to all people both Thai and foreigners.

The address is

Anonymous Clinic, the Thai Red Cross Society

104 Rajdamri Road

Pathumwan District

Bangkok 10330

The Anonymous Clinic is located on the opposite side of the AUA Language Institute .

Tel. (+66 2) 256 4107

Fax: (+66 2)2547577

www.trcarc.org<http://www.trcarc.org>

The Thai Red Cross Society is the major humanitarian organisation in Thailand, providing services as part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The Society was founded in 1893 and is headquartered in Bangkok.

Edited June 19, 2014 by coppywriter

[ClutchClark]

"However, he said that the problem has eased somewhat as people infected with the virus have more and better access to treatment today and it was the case a decade ago."

and or than (or then, for the uneducated)?

Ration of male to female would help also, in assessing how and where the disease is contracted and spread.

Typical results of a Thai study; there are no references, no realistic data, no assessments of sex related (in this case) indicators, nor is there any closely related doctoral report.

Audacity to say things are much better than ten years ago (assuming it is simply bad reported language), when half or more do not recieve treatment, or return for results of being positive or not... sad indeed.....

Do you speak Thai at a college-level? If not, then it takes some gaul to ridicule a Thai's use of the english language to my way of thinking.

I am also curious how you know the results of the Thai study from a simple news article? Did you google the study? Did you read the abstract? Or do you just assume the news article you just ridiculed is comprehensive?

Half full, half empty mate...its up to you.

[Globalist]

I despise sex tourists.

What initially attracted you to Thailand then? Buddhism and wats? The food? Atmospehere? Or were you a defunct, Vietnam left-over?

You can't BS a BSer, and believe you me... there's plenty of us here.

None of your business but I found a good woman, good in every respect. On top of that my meagre pension goes a lot further here than back home. I had more than my fair share without paying for it back home. I probably got some of other peoples' share also and I never paid for it. I can't envisage betraying my wife, something that you of course would never understand. If you read what I wrote before you should understand that I have every reason to despise sex tourists that come to Thailand and insist on unprotected sex, spread their disgusting diseases around and then go back home. There are so many places that I have to avoid now, I can't stand the sight of these 'men of the world, seen it all, screwed 'em all hansum men. I despise them.

I see simple naive village girls going off 'down there' and coming back completely disillusioned and disgusted with Farangs. That's why they start ripping them off the second time they go down there.

Not defending sex tourism in any way, but most likely, the majority of sex buyers in Thailand are local Thais.

If that is correct, then "disgusting diseases" are likely to be mainly spread by local Thais. In particular considering that "sex tourists" are on average more knowledgable about STDs than local Thai sex buyers, due to better sex education, as elaborated on elsewhere in this thread.

[ClutchClark]

Please, I am asking this out of a desire simply to know the facts. I don't want a diatribe about sex tourists and HIV but...

Although HIV is no walk in the park it is generally acknowledged that current treatments (HAART; ie highly aggressive anti-retroroviral therapy) is very effective, and patients can expect to lead a near normal life span if they take 1 or maybe 2 pills a day. The down side being that the drugs are very expensive.

Most western countries make the drugs available free or very cheaply; eg completely free in UK.

What I have not been able to find out is, does the Thai government make them available to its citizens at a price that the poor ( or even bar girls) can afford?

This, and totally confidential treatment as per the west, is surely what really matters. Anyone know?

Most Western Countries does not include the US...where the pharma and healthcare industries are most definitely for profit and where it is now against the law to not participate in their fleecing.

[stoli]

I despise sex tourists.

What initially attracted you to Thailand then? Buddhism and wats? The food? Atmospehere? Or were you a defunct, Vietnam left-over?

You can't BS a BSer, and believe you me... there's plenty of us here.

None of your business but I found a good woman, good in every respect. On top of that my meagre pension goes a lot further here than back home. I had more than my fair share without paying for it back home. I probably got some of other peoples' share also and I never paid for it. I can't envisage betraying my wife, something that you of course would never understand. If you read what I wrote before you should understand that I have every reason to despise sex tourists that come to Thailand and insist on unprotected sex, spread their disgusting diseases around and then go back home. There are so many places that I have to avoid now, I can't stand the sight of these 'men of the world, seen it all, screwed 'em all hansum men. I despise them.

I see simple naive village girls going off 'down there' and coming back completely disillusioned and disgusted with Farangs. That's why they start ripping them off the second time they go down there.

First of all, your thoughts scare me, but please read on to see why. I am very happy that you have found a good woman that satisfies all of your needs on a daily basis, and you life is full. I swear I am being honest here. Some men are not looking for a wife, and that is a fact. Like you, I am not looking for sex from a different woman every day, every week, or even every month. But please learn that men, like woman, are different in their needs due to testosterone and hormone levels. Not everyone is the same. If that is what they are looking for, let them and don't stand in the way. You lead your life, and let them lead there's. They are different in their needs. They have the right to pursue their dreams on a daily basis.

Edited June 19, 2014 by stoli

[Gonsalviz]

I despise sex tourists.

What initially attracted you to Thailand then? Buddhism and wats? The food? Atmospehere? Or were you a defunct, Vietnam left-over?

You can't BS a BSer, and believe you me... there's plenty of us here.

None of your business but I found a good woman, good in every respect. On top of that my meagre pension goes a lot further here than back home. I had more than my fair share without paying for it back home. I probably got some of other peoples' share also and I never paid for it. I can't envisage betraying my wife, something that you of course would never understand. If you read what I wrote before you should understand that I have every reason to despise sex tourists that come to Thailand and insist on unprotected sex, spread their disgusting diseases around and then go back home. There are so many places that I have to avoid now, I can't stand the sight of these 'men of the world, seen it all, screwed 'em all hansum men. I despise them.

I see simple naive village girls going off 'down there' and coming back completely disillusioned and disgusted with Farangs. That's why they start ripping them off the second time they go down there.

Not defending sex tourism in any way, but most likely, the majority of sex buyers in Thailand are local Thais.

If that is correct, then "disgusting diseases" are likely to be mainly spread by local Thais. In particular considering that "sex tourists" are on average more knowledgable about STDs than local Thai sex buyers, due to better sex education, as elaborated on elsewhere in this thread.

Most of the HIV is among the local brothels and drug user. That being said, 500,000 seems like a small number.

[danbradster]

Most of the HIV is among the local brothels and drug user. That being said, 500,000 seems like a small number.

Almost 1% of the whole population, and I guess about 10% in sex workers too, which sounds pretty high to me.

In Australia the rate is 0.1% of the whole population. So Thailand has a rate 5-10x higher than Australia. Hardly a small number.

In Australia, 63% of the people with HIV are gay, and 3% are injecting drug users. Thailand has a large population of gays and sex workers, likely with a high prevelance.

[selftaopath]

"However, he said that the problem has eased somewhat as people infected with the virus have more and better access to treatment today and it was the case a decade ago."

and or than (or then, for the uneducated)?

Ration of male to female would help also, in assessing how and where the disease is contracted and spread.

Typical results of a Thai study; there are no references, no realistic data, no assessments of sex related (in this case) indicators, nor is there any closely related doctoral report.

Audacity to say things are much better than ten years ago (assuming it is simply bad reported language), when half or more do not recieve treatment, or return for results of being positive or not... sad indeed.....

They just had a funeral ceremony for a 34 year old female in our village. She died of AIDS and worked in Pattaya. Another unnecessary death.

[Felt 35]

I despise sex tourists.

What initially attracted you to Thailand then? Buddhism and wats? The food? Atmospehere? Or were you a defunct, Vietnam left-over?

You can't BS a BSer, and believe you me... there's plenty of us here.

Don't paint everyone with the same brush.

[kamahele]

Doctor B, I am not certain but I think the most contemporary drug regimes are not available cheaply here in Thailand. I have heard two stories that seem to support this. One about someone's dad (Thai) who died without medicine a couple of years ago and another about a girl who was only saved because she went to England and got treatment. I guess the big hospitals with big prices have the most effective medicines?

From what I know from friends who are positive is that the most modern drugs used in the west are not available in Thailand, however the drugs that are available are cheap in price and sometimes free of charge through the government hospitals.

[dddave]

Please, I am asking this out of a desire simply to know the facts. I don't want a diatribe about sex tourists and HIV but...

Although HIV is no walk in the park it is generally acknowledged that current treatments (HAART; ie highly aggressive anti-retroroviral therapy) is very effective, and patients can expect to lead a near normal life span if they take 1 or maybe 2 pills a day. The down side being that the drugs are very expensive.

Most western countries make the drugs available free or very cheaply; eg completely free in UK.

What I have not been able to find out is, does the Thai government make them available to its citizens at a price that the poor ( or even bar girls) can afford?

This, and totally confidential treatment as per the west, is surely what really matters. Anyone know?

My former girlfriend's younger brother was diagnosed as HIV+ 10 years ago....he is still alive and working today. Though he lives in a rural Khon Kean Moo Ban, his condition has been effectively treated at little cost to him or his family.

On the first Monday of every month, he and several other HIV+ people from the area are picked up by a van and taken to a district health center where they get a full check-up and their months supply of medications.

His continued good health and survival is testament that Thailand does have some very dedicated health professionals that staff well run and effective medical programs.

[razer]

From the outset I never understood why, when applying for an O or non O visa the government wanted testing for elephantiasis but not for HIV.

[daboyz1]

My sister in law just died from AIDS last month. Her husband died from it back in 2005. So I assume she had known she was infected for quite some time, although I didn't find out the truth about the husand until 2010 when she started getting sick. Her attitude seemed to be if she didn't feel sick, she wasn't sick and just carried on with life like she wasn't infected. Didn't get any kind of treatment while she wasn't sick. Who knows how many people she infected in the process. By the time she actually got sick, it was too late. She died a pretty slow painful death in a public hospital in Isaan. I did quite a bit of reading on the treatment in Thailand and it seems there is quite a bit available. However if the person refuses to acknowlege that there's anything wrong with them, they wont do anything about it.

From my exeperience it seems that the issue isn't so much available treatment, but convincing people that don't feel sick that they are actually sick. And if they don't do something about it, they'll die.

[BudRight]

"However, he said that the problem has eased somewhat as people infected with the virus have more and better access to treatment today and it was the case a decade ago."

and or than (or then, for the uneducated)?

Ration of male to female would help also, in assessing how and where the disease is contracted and spread.

Typical results of a Thai study; there are no references, no realistic data, no assessments of sex related (in this case) indicators, nor is there any closely related doctoral report.

Audacity to say things are much better than ten years ago (assuming it is simply bad reported language), when half or more do not recieve treatment, or return for results of being positive or not... sad indeed.....

Do you speak Thai at a college-level? If not, then it takes some gaul to ridicule a Thai's use of the english language to my way of thinking.

I am also curious how you know the results of the Thai study from a simple news article? Did you google the study? Did you read the abstract? Or do you just assume the news article you just ridiculed is comprehensive?

Half full, half empty mate...its up to you.

I always thought it was up the size of the glass you picked.

[Realist]

I have been coming to Thailand since 2001 and am now living here in a small town

I come from South Africa where 17% of the population have HIV and 33% of the pregnant woman who go to clinics have HIV or Aids

All who want can go to Government clinics where they receive free Anti Viral Medicine but many are to embarrassed to go and among the indigenous Africans it is called "The Curse" and they go home to die in peace.

Today a person can live with HIV and it is now not called a death sentence but a long term disease like diabetes

There is a Constitutional Court Judge Edward Cameron who has been HIV positive since 1982 and he has been open about it for many years

[Grindting]

One of my fathers 'colleagues' at work (late 50s) was bragging to him about his bi annual trips to Thailand, bar girls and unprotected sex.

My dad asked him doesn't he worry about STDs and HIV etc. his reply was:

'nah.. It's only the birds on the beach you have to worry about bagging up with, I don't touch those. the girls in the bars are clean!'

One can only wonder what filth he's been spreading around. My dad couldn't believe his ears, not so much because he is a happily married man but because with all the education available to us, there are still disgusting neanderthals like this prick in the uk.