HIV prevention in ladyboys
Previous posts have already written about transgenders, ladyboys or kathoeys. This concerned the activities of transgender people and medical interventions.
This posting is about the reception and medical support of transgender people, because there is a need for this among this group. In Pattaya, the Sisters Foundation's office provides education on medical issues with an emphasis on HIV prevention. According to founder Doi, this is very important because it makes it easier to go to a doctor. Barriers are removed through the reception and discussion rounds.
Pattaya is considered the center for transgender people in Thailand. Many of these transgender people still do not do enough about HIV prevention, despite help from PEPFAR (Presidents Emergency Plan for Aids Relief) which is one of the largest donors in the field of combating this disease. The goal is for transgender people to help other transgender people. Most of the employees and volunteers come directly from this community.
Previously, employees had given contraceptives and HIV education in certain entertainment areas, but that did not work. Despite all the risk of infection, many ladyboys still refused an HIV test. They were scared about the results and also thought they were not infected, says Doi.
This new reception and guidance makes these HIV tests easier. A qualified nurse can and may carry out the tests, if the result is positive, further investigation is carried out. With the support of an employee, further treatment is started at a health institution.
In this way, the Sisters Foundation succeeded in building a bridge between these transgender people and the health care system. The fact that this approach is successful is evidenced by the doubling of the number of registrations since 2006 to 2014 with a number of 500 transgender people. Doi and her employees also visit the cabaret theaters once a month to inform the Kathoeys there and possibly carry out tests.
In addition, from Monday to Friday from 13.00:19.00 to XNUMX:XNUMX there is good reception in the room of the Sisters Foundation, where various courses are offered, experiences are exchanged and friendships are made.
They were scared about the results and also thought they were not infected, says Doi – ???
Why be afraid if you think you are not infected? And why NOT test if you think you are not infected?
Unfortunately, many young people from my circle of friends have passed away. Partly because the government has left them out in the cold in the past. Fortunately, that is no longer the case and people can get free help and treatment with medicines. However, an important factor in not being treated properly is shame and stubbornness.
Many people do not want their family and friends to notice anything about a treatment (ie that they have HIV). In the beginning one can get a change of skin color and moods. So one has to leave the house unfortunately (also often under pressure from the family).
I also know a number of cases of young people who thought after a while of treatment that it was all over despite all the warnings that this is not the case. They stopped taking medicine and sadly passed away.
It is terrible that shame in particular can have such an influence on young lives. I sincerely hope that the Thai government can also influence the environments of these young people.
It is remarkable that the Thai press talks about a transvestite and the Dutch press
about trandender, ladyboy or kathoey.
Are these a different kind of people or does this have to do with political correctness?
http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/148592
This is because most people still don't know what a transgender is