50,000 Thai Girls Have Unwanted Pregnancies Each Year

[george]

50,000 girls have unwanted pregnancies each year: activist

BANGKOK: -- Only a third of the required areas for youth development was available in Bangkok, warned the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, which fears youth problems will worsen unless prompt action is taken.

Thai Health manager Supakorn Buasai said teenagers today tend to hang around in unhealthy places where unsuitable activities take place.

He blames these places for contributing to misguided ideas and misbehaviour among young Thais.

According to recent statistics, more than 50,000 girls between 14 and 19 years old have unwanted pregnancies each year.

The same report said 30,000 cases of youth-related crimes are recorded annually.

"It could be said that every day we have an average of 82 teenagers committing crimes. Providing more youth centres where teens can take part in healthier activity is one way of reducing such problems," Supakorn said.

-- The Nation 2003-08-27

[britmaveric]

Teaching birth control to the young teens would be the best idea. Use of condoms and the pill.

[fruittbatt]

"unhealthy places" and "unsuitable activities" seems a fairly unhelpful response to this BIG (pun intended) issue:

some more pertinent considerations would seem to be

>an evident need for sex education in schools & at home

>how condoms could be distributed at these so-called and mysteriously "unhealthy" places

>how many of these girls/women have safe/unsafe abortions?

>what provisions are there for young women who keep the babies to continue their education?

>how many contract AIDS through unprotected sex?

>what are the social consequences for young women who transgress societal norms in regard to teenage sexual behaviour?

[aaaaaa]

unwanted pregnancies are result of .... quite WANTED activities !

such a paradox, huh ?

[Patex]

...It could be said that every day we have an average of 82 teenagers committing crimes...

Wow,

in any western country it would be in every nano- second... Thailand just " Per day".

[hammered]

Sex education would help. In some villages it is also difficult to get condoms.

[binnsy]

Prehaps these girls are trying to catch a meal ticket by getting there selves in the family way

[fruittbatt]

Prehaps these girls are trying to catch a meal ticket by getting there selves in the family way

What an uninformed and sexist comment! Try reading the posts by farang men on the thread about Northern Thai women praising their farang husbands. Then you might get some idea of the ways in which Thai women are only too happy to work to support themselves and their families.

[sonnyJ]

"unhealthy places" and "unsuitable activities" seems a fairly unhelpful response to this BIG (pun intended) issue:

some more pertinent considerations would seem to be

>an evident need for sex education in schools & at home

>how condoms could be distributed at these so-called and mysteriously "unhealthy" places

>how many of these girls/women have safe/unsafe abortions?

>what provisions are there for young women who keep the babies to continue their education?

>how many contract AIDS through unprotected sex?

>what are the social consequences for young women who transgress societal norms in regard to teenage sexual behaviour?

These would be some good points to begin with.

So are the crimes 30,000 including the abortions or not. Is it a crime to commit one? It seems to be a crime to perform one...I think.

Thats exactly what you want. More unwanted children and then you have doubled the crime rates in 15 years..

When unions ( the students) at college campuses say no we can't have condoms sold here, you find out how big a taboo they have created for them selves. It's very different, unpublicly.. But

I'd like to know more about how to get abortions done. Costs...

[sonnyJ]

According to recent statistics, more than 50,000 girls between 14 and 19 years old have unwanted pregnancies each year.

The same report said 30,000 cases of youth-related crimes are recorded annually.

I dont have any statistics here but I take it theres avg. 60,000,000 people in Thailand.

So the unwanted pregnancies figure would gather about 0.08 %.

I presume half of the population are men.

Also taking it that the birth rates might be high, and the pop. growing.

So lets say 30,000,000 women. 20% would be teenagers.

That figure would close to a 1% of a teenage population have unwanted pregnancies yearly. Seems quite high to me.

[naka]

"It could be said that every day we have an average of 82 teenagers committing crimes. Providing more youth centres where teens can take part in healthier activity is one way of reducing such problems," Supakorn said.

82 a day! Yea ... right.

50,000 a year ... So I guess the are still waiting for the numbers to

come in from the provinces.

Naka.

[brahmburgers]

"According to recent statistics, more than 50,000 girls between 14 and 19 years old have unwanted pregnancies each year."

50,000 unwanted pregnancies per year is WAY TOO LOW a number. Yes, sex education should be available throughout, but just as important; the un-Thai trait of RESPONSIBILITY - particularly for men that sexually prey on girls should be instilled in whatever ways possible.

I meet dozens of young women, mostly legit massage girls. I'd say over 80% have at least one child and NOT ONE OF THOSE SINGLE MOMS receive a satang of support from the salivating dogs that hit 'em up. It's disgusting how easily men can get away with irresponsible screwing - and amazing to me how Thai society as a whole yawns a collective 'mai pen rai' about it all - at the family level, at the wats, and at the legal level. Indeed, the deadbeat dads' families would threaten bloody murder to anyone who so much as insinuated that their precious son should take responsibility for the deprived kid he's brought in to the world. Though farang are generally more responsible in the 'screw 'em without a condom and to hel_l with the consequenses' attitude, there are still some farang in Thailand who are despicably irresponsible - and that burns my biscuit - I jest not. To me it's as despicable as knowingly giving someone an STD.

[Mighty Mouse]

You have to blame our Maker.

If it didn't feel so good, we wouldn't do it.

[fruittbatt]

"According to recent statistics, more than 50,000 girls between 14 and 19 years old have unwanted pregnancies each year."

50,000 unwanted pregnancies per year is WAY TOO LOW a number. Yes, sex education should be available throughout, but just as important; the un-Thai trait of RESPONSIBILITY - particularly for men that sexually prey on girls should be instilled in whatever ways possible.

I meet dozens of young women, mostly legit massage girls. I'd say over 80% have at least one child and NOT ONE OF THOSE SINGLE MOMS receive a satang of support from the salivating dogs that hit 'em up. It's disgusting how easily men can get away with irresponsible screwing - and amazing to me how Thai society as a whole yawns a collective 'mai pen rai' about it all - at the family level, at the wats, and at the legal level. Indeed, the deadbeat dads' families would threaten bloody murder to anyone who so much as insinuated that their precious son should take responsibility for the deprived kid he's brought in to the world. Though farang are generally more responsible in the 'screw 'em without a condom and to hel_l with the consequenses' attitude, there are still some farang in Thailand who are despicably irresponsible - and that burns my biscuit - I jest not. To me it's as despicable as knowingly giving someone an STD.

Completely endorse your thoughts about the injustice of this scenario: responsibility falling solely on the young woman left holding the baby, while the guy evades all responsibility and moves on to the next willing woman. Ditto your thoughts on condom use...every risk is a potential STD and a potential pregnancy.

I have taught English to young women working in bars in Thailand, and have found that they are often pressured and offered financial incentives to have unprotected sex. I think there is a long overdue need for outreach projects & peer education to those most at risk of contracting STDs or unwanted pregnancies: particularly inexperienced teenagers with self-esteem and identity issues, and young sex workers under pressure from management or clients to deliver unprotected sex.

However, I don't think any program will be successful until the issues of male responsibility and gendered expectations are also addressed: a huge call in Thailand!