webfact Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 HIV up among Phuket ladyboys A little girl presents a rose to the ladyboy of her choice during the Miss Loy Kratong pageant at Rajabhat Phuket University in 2009. PHUKET: -- Increasing sexual activity among the youngest members of Phuket’s transgender community is leading to a worrying rise in HIV infection rates, public health officials say. Dr Sak Tanchaikul, chief of Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO), said he was deeply concerned about HIV infection rates among “men who have sex with men”, which his agency members refer to collectively as “MSM”. Already over 9 per cent of people who fall into the MSM category in Phuket have contracted the HIV virus that causes AIDS, he said. A provincial subcommittee tasked with stopping the spread of the disease will coordinate efforts with all related agencies and groups to ensure that infection rates do not go any higher, he said. “MSM is one of the risk groups because they have many sex partners. The more partners they have, the greater the risk of them contracting HIV,” he added. Mrs Eam-orn Kittitornkul, chief of the PPHO’s service development division, said research conducted by her agency found an increase in sexual activity among transgender people. “The MSM group is having major problems. From our studies last year, we found that kathoeys [‘ladyboys’] are having more sexual partners than ever before. In the past they typically reported having had one or two partners. But in 2010 we found many in the 15 to 19 age range have already had four or more partners,” she said. Schools had an important role to play in providing knowledge about HIV and teaching those in high-risk groups how to protect themselves, she said. Phuket Rajabhat University has invited famous sex education instructor Dr Pansak Sukraroek to lecture students, Dr Sak said. “I think it is useful. The youth will have more understanding and know how to protect themselves [from HIV],” he said. Apart from educational institutions, local authorities such as tambon administration organizations (OrBorTor) also receive budgets to fund HIV/AIDS awareness programs, Mrs Eam-orn added. “Having a field trip or educational tour at the year end may help solve the problem somewhat. I think it would be better for the local authorities to help us [PPHO] install condom vending machines or disseminate knowledge about the value of condom usage to local residents,” she said. A campaign to increase public awareness about the need for condom use is being planned for Phuket, but the exact date has yet to be announced, Dr Sak said. More statistics on the HIV/AIDS situation in Phuket will be released after the next subcommittee meeting, he said. Phuket has a large population of transgender people from all over Thailand. Many move here to work in the nightlife industry. The Patong Police require all kathoey working along Soi Bangla to carry ID cards issued by their place of employment. Those found soliciting sexual service in the area are subject to fines. Awareness of HIV/AIDS issues is also a major thrust of activities related to the the 10th Phuket Gay Pride Celebration, which began in Patong yesterday. For more information about the event click here. -- Phuket Gazette 2011-02-24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
featography Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 quote; “Having a field trip or educational tour at the year end may help solve the problem somewhat." Excuse me!?!?!? A field trip to where and to do what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfm Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 quote; "Having a field trip or educational tour at the year end may help solve the problem somewhat." Excuse me!?!?!? A field trip to where and to do what? Yes, it does sound a bit funny! I suppose she simply talks about education, something which is well known to have some effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxYakov Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 quote; "Having a field trip or educational tour at the year end may help solve the problem somewhat." Excuse me!?!?!? A field trip to where and to do what? Amsterdam is nice this time of year ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernMan3 Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 "HIV up among Phuket ladyboys" Now that's a surprise....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12DrinkMore Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 quote; "Having a field trip or educational tour at the year end may help solve the problem somewhat." Excuse me!?!?!? A field trip to where and to do what? Amsterdam is nice this time of year ... The tulips blossom around April. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walterego Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 (edited) I have often wondered how this influences the rate of infection amoungst tourists traveling to to Phuket from abroad. I saw on an Australian TV show (today tonight or some other equally unreliable broadcast) about a year ago that Australian males traveling to South east asia ( they mentioned Thailand and Cambodia in particular) as the highest group of new infections in Australia. I after trying to find support of this was unable to find anything. Thus it was in all likelyhood b.s.<br>However such stats would be interesting. I wonder if infection rates in foreign tourist have simmilar patterns to that of Thais or perhaps that of Thai Lbs such as those mentioned here. Does anybody know of statistics for foreigners infected IN Thailand and where to find them? Edited February 24, 2011 by walterego Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zorro1 Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 look its no secret for goodness sakes. Take it in the rear unprotected = higher chance of HIV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happysanook Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 (edited) I have often wondered how this influences the rate of infection amoungst tourists traveling to to Phuket from abroad. I saw on an Australian TV show (today tonight or some other equally unreliable broadcast) about a year ago that Australian males traveling to South east asia ( they mentioned Thailand and Cambodia in particular) as the highest group of new infections in Australia. I after trying to find support of this was unable to find anything. Thus it was in all likelyhood b.s.<br>However such stats would be interesting. I wonder if infection rates in foreign tourist have simmilar patterns to that of Thais or perhaps that of Thai Lbs such as those mentioned here. Does anybody know of statistics for foreigners infected IN Thailand and where to find them? It's the same in the States....At least with self proclaimed hetero's, the highest set is those who traveled to SE Asia. Also Thailand's typical HIV type is much easier transmitted through hetero sex (thus extremely easy through MSM sex), perhaps as easily as 1 in 60 to 1 in 200 per risk with a partner who has HIV (hetero). Typical HIV types in the US/UK transmission rate is approx 1 in 500 to 1 in 1000 for females and 1 in 1000 to 1 in 2000 for males (hetero) Edited February 24, 2011 by happysanook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectrumisgreen Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 quote; "Having a field trip or educational tour at the year end may help solve the problem somewhat." Excuse me!?!?!? A field trip to where and to do what? Yes, it does sound a bit funny! I suppose she simply talks about education, something which is well known to have some effect. BEFORE any education can have any effect, the people involved would have to consider what they're doing and actually CARE about the possible consequences.. its the whole riding without a helmet despite having known some of your mates die on the streets for just that reason thing again.. literally!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotaplonker Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 look its no secret for goodness sakes. Take it in the rear unprotected = higher chance of HIV yep thats about it, even though Hiv is a very serious and leads to a fatal illness, its unbelievably easy to protect one's self from it except in in foreward thinking areas of the world such as the Phillipines, Africa, South America where highly educated christian missionaries, organizations, priests, Bishops tell their 'flocks that hiv virus can pass through a condom, God bless the enlightenment (shurly shum mishtake) wap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 It's not the same thing as ulcers. It's Aids and it's caused by a virus. It's a virus that isn't so easy to transmit but it's a virus nonetheless. Period, end of story. There are also people who still believe the earth is flat. Next ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happysanook Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 If it were real, then more people would be dying from AIDS in Pattaya than from road accidents and that's just not so. Some would argue that to even question the equation 'HIV = AIDS' is dangerous - thus we must uphold the belief whether it is true or false. This is one of the dumbest things I've seen written in a long time. Keep your jimmy unwrapped, keep on bangin', and you'll find out how real HIV is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaccha Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 It's not the same thing as ulcers. It's Aids and it's caused by a virus. It's a virus that isn't so easy to transmit but it's a virus nonetheless. Period, end of story. There are also people who still believe the earth is flat. Next ... That there are still people like Jingthing who believe that people believed the Earth is flat is bewildering. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_the_Flat_Earth] The irony is painful. Not as painful at AIDS though. Next... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 It's not the same thing as ulcers. It's Aids and it's caused by a virus. It's a virus that isn't so easy to transmit but it's a virus nonetheless. Period, end of story. There are also people who still believe the earth is flat. Next ... That there are still people like Jingthing who believe that people believed the Earth is flat is bewildering. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_the_Flat_Earth] The irony is painful. Not as painful at AIDS though. Next... Oy vey, you're joking, right? Most people in the "olden days" were not scholars in any way. I didn't make any assertion at all as to what date scholars didn't think the earth was flat. Your link implies scholars did think that before the 3rd century. I am also sure there are some people today who are so uneducated or primitive that they think the earth is flat, if they think about it anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tokay Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I refuse to believe that anyone who has unprotected anal sex is at a higher rate for HIV. Especially in Thailand. That's just rubbish and poor reporting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khaowong1 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 quote; "Having a field trip or educational tour at the year end may help solve the problem somewhat." Excuse me!?!?!? A field trip to where and to do what? Amsterdam is nice this time of year ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotinsiam Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I refuse to believe that anyone who has unprotected anal sex is at a higher rate for HIV. Especially in Thailand. That's just rubbish and poor reporting. quality Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverdie Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 . There are also people who still believe the earth is flat. Next ... Yeah, whats wrong with that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverdie Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Its a simple thing of unprotected sex with participants who regularly have sex with other people that should be of MOST concern. Whether you are taking it or giving up the blurter is neither here nor there. Surely you guys have seen those celebrity charts that show whos been with who & the tree of lovers that two people have been involved with. Now imagine if that same task was undertaken by a Pattaya player and experienced expat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valentine Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 quote; "Having a field trip or educational tour at the year end may help solve the problem somewhat." Excuse me!?!?!? A field trip to where and to do what? Yes, it does sound a bit funny! I suppose she simply talks about education, something which is well known to have some effect. Probably talking about a junket disguised as a field trip i.e. lets take all the committee & their families on a wonderful free vacation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarangKenStine Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 A Field Trip?? To Where? The Sausage Factory!? OMG I hope not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softgeorge Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 If it is up amongst the ladyboys then there will be a lot of farang sex tourists taking a little extra home also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cup-O-coffee Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 (edited) I can't imagine that men and men / men and women / women and men / animals and men / women and animals, etc. have not been the norm for billions of years. "There's nothing new under the Sun" And suddenly in 1984 we get HIV/AIDS? After a gazillion years? It all seems a bit odd to me that awareness and existence of these viral strains are in direct proportion to the increase in bio-hazardous testing by our illustrious governments. You don't think that they might be tempted to release a little bit here and there to conduct a little testing? NaaaaaH! No way! The Chinese testing on people? The Germans testing on people? The Israelis testing on people? The Japanese testing on people? The British testing on people? The Iraqis testing on people? The USa testing on people? This just isn't possible. Nature and evolution are lying!!! People don't unleash laboratory viruses on other people. Nature has hidden HIV/AIDS for a gazillion years and she has suddenly decided to unleash her fury in 1984. No way it's a synthetic, laboratory contrived experiment in the name of eugenics. I would have to put on my tinfoil hat if I were to believe that man is a god and nature is lying. Today's trump card is HIV / AIDS. No one knows they have it. They have to take the word of a specialist who looks into a microscope and this honest, bribe-proof person will decide your fate. No one knows they have it because the symptoms are a collection of every other virus or bacterial infection. Now isn't that just dam_n convenient? The immune system fails. The majority of people in the world with HIV/AIDS eat with the same hand they wipe their ass with, and drink from the same water source that they excrete in. Go figure! There are less exceptions than anything to support the veracity of the HIV/AIDS claim Now they had to come up with HIV - and HIV + because people got too alarmed! Yup! Ya gotta have crowd control! These sheep will believe anything. Neverttheless, they do need to be culled, and it will be blamed on a vengeful Mother Gaia, or Mother Nature. Nyuk Nyuk. Edited February 25, 2011 by cup-O-coffee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exbelg Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 just stay away of those persons than... either you are straight or gay... why confuse people ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softgeorge Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 just stay away of those persons than... either you are straight or gay... why confuse people ? I have to agree, ladyboys are not my thing, I am straight but you wouldn't catch me within 20 mtrs of a bargirl either. Life is far to short as it is to risk it for a 5 minute fling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valentine Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I can't imagine that men and men / men and women / women and men / animals and men / women and animals, etc. have not been the norm for billions of years. "There's nothing new under the Sun" And suddenly in 1984 we get HIV/AIDS? After a gazillion years? It all seems a bit odd to me that awareness and existence of these viral strains are in direct proportion to the increase in bio-hazardous testing by our illustrious governments. You don't think that they might be tempted to release a little bit here and there to conduct a little testing? NaaaaaH! No way! The Chinese testing on people? The Germans testing on people? The Israelis testing on people? The Japanese testing on people? The British testing on people? The Iraqis testing on people? The USa testing on people? This just isn't possible. Nature and evolution are lying!!! People don't unleash laboratory viruses on other people. Nature has hidden HIV/AIDS for a gazillion years and she has suddenly decided to unleash her fury in 1984. No way it's a synthetic, laboratory contrived experiment in the name of eugenics. I would have to put on my tinfoil hat if I were to believe that man is a god and nature is lying. Today's trump card is HIV / AIDS. No one knows they have it. They have to take the word of a specialist who looks into a microscope and this honest, bribe-proof person will decide your fate. No one knows they have it because the symptoms are a collection of every other virus or bacterial infection. Now isn't that just dam_n convenient? The immune system fails. The majority of people in the world with HIV/AIDS eat with the same hand they wipe their ass with, and drink from the same water source that they excrete in. Go figure! There are less exceptions than anything to support the veracity of the HIV/AIDS claim Now they had to come up with HIV - and HIV + because people got too alarmed! Yup! Ya gotta have crowd control! These sheep will believe anything. Neverttheless, they do need to be culled, and it will be blamed on a vengeful Mother Gaia, or Mother Nature. Nyuk Nyuk. Don't keep your head where the sun does not shine for too long. If you pull it out & look with unblinkered eyes you might actually learn something. Ebola was unknown until recently & there may be many other deadly diseases lurking just waiting for the right conditions in which to flourish. Also keep having unprotected sex with all & sundry, you might just end up being a mass murderer before you succumb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dukeleto Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 If it were real, then more people would be dying from AIDS in Pattaya than from road accidents and that's just not so. Some would argue that to even question the equation 'HIV = AIDS' is dangerous - thus we must uphold the belief whether it is true or false. This is one of the dumbest things I've seen written in a long time. Keep your jimmy unwrapped, keep on bangin', and you'll find out how real HIV is. Could not agree more! banging anyone without a condom is pure lunacy and self denial. Its still shocking for me to hear supposedly intelligent guys recant a story where they bedded a working girl without a condom due to this reason and that reason...for me there is zero reason not use a condom. And to those guys smuggly thinking to themselves that they are married and do not need to use a condom...actually you are more at risk than the gun slinging playboy who bangs a working girl every night of the year and twice on sundays and who always wears a condom wether he is penetrating or not. Food for thought. Dont be so naive guys...if you are not going to abstain, use a rubber...ALWAYS. Anything else is just risk taking with your life and others lifes which is actually where the real criminality lies in the irresponsible use of not using protection. Bottom line...use a condom so you dont F*&k up the life of someone else regardless of their social standing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginjag Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Its a simple thing of unprotected sex with participants who regularly have sex with other people that should be of MOST concern. Whether you are taking it or giving up the blurter is neither here nor there. Surely you guys have seen those celebrity charts that show whos been with who & the tree of lovers that two people have been involved with. Now imagine if that same task was undertaken by a Pattaya player and experienced expat If your wife or husband played away''''' only once he/she could get infected, and surely wouldn't dare to tell you, so you get it.... who do you trust when its your life at stake ???? In England I had a friend. who was very promiscuous, for years/unprotected, and never caught it.--I also knew of another that had a one night stand and got it. The thing is no rubber no sex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigJohnnyBKK Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Wow, wild stuff here 8-) The infection rate among sex workers in Thailand has been declining but is still relatively high - I've seen estimates up around 25-30%, which IMO is exaggerated, but I doubt if the reality is less than half that range. And since the proportion of visitors coming to Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines specifically for sexual purposes is relatively high, it doesn't seem at all unlikely to me this is a significant infection vector for their home countries. Re field trips - I am involved with several international schools that regularly take students on field trips to hospices and other care facilities run by NGOs and charities that care for victims of the HIV/AIDS epidemic; they also hold regular fund-raising events, form student clubs to do hands-on work with victims, set up programs for them using the swimming pools, etc. I doubt if many Thai-run establishments do so, and won't go into why I think that may be so. But I would suggest that in this case the official had a very valid point - take the potential infectees (later to become infectors) to see the direct results of their being irresponsible - and the indirect ones - do you know how many AIDS orphans there are? Such exposure may well have an impact on their future behaviour. Re the idea of there being no HIV/AIDS problem because you don't see piles of victims dying in the gutters of Pattaya (I'm sorry but what an idiot!) Pattaya's sex workers don't consider it their home - when they get ill, they obviously return to their home village and live out the remainder of their lives within whatever family support network they may have there. Of course while they can still earn a living, many of them do, waiting until they are too sick to do so. And before the anti-Thai brigade gets on their high horses, many infected farangs continue to be sexually active here as well, some travelling up-country purposefully infecting regular girls (non-sex-workers) for revenge. Side note - a bit of a rant/lecture, feel free to ignore 8-) Stupid and evil people come from all facets of humanity, as do the wise and good. It's just usually harder to identify the latter, as they don't have as obviously visible an impact. Think about the kind of people our own lifestyle choices here put us in touch with - combined with the fact that many of us come here as obvious "marks" for the con artists (naive and flaunting our relative wealth) I believe this is the source of some of TV members' misconceptions about the overall Thai population. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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