Candle in the rain

About the growing problem of unwanted teenage pregnancies in Thailand.

She loves to read and performs well in a high school. Manee, a 16-year-old schoolgirl from a town in Chiang Rai province, should therefore have a carefree life. But alas, that is not the case. Manee takes care of her two-month-old baby whose father attends the same high school.

Another sad example of the consequences of unprotected sex is Manee's 15-year-old school friend, who died last year after being raped by her HIV-infected stepfather.

These are just two examples of a huge and growing problem in Thai society.

unwanted teenage pregnancies

According to a recent survey of socially disadvantaged children in northern Thailand, more than 70% of unwanted pregnancies occur in girls between the ages of 15 and 19. To underline the seriousness of this problem, it should be noted that last year Thailand - after South Africa - ranked second worldwide with the highest number of unwanted teenage pregnancies.

“They should go to school and get an education instead of getting pregnant,” says Sunan Samriamrum, of Plan International, an organization that works for these problem children. However, it is impossible for those girls to return to school, even if they stop breastfeeding. They have to find a job to support the young family”.

Sexual education

To prevent unwanted teenage pregnancies, the Pad Foundation, an organization under the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (THPF), started a 2008 million baht project in XNUMX. With the aim of raising the awareness of students about this growing problem.

The project called “Up to Me” focuses on initiating effective sex education in primary and secondary schools in the form of lectures, brochures and an educational film. Information through various media is also part of the project. In Bangkok and the surrounding area, people could speak of a certain success, but the Pad Foundation has now had to limit its activities due to a lack of budget. Plan International has since agreed to further support the project and is now the main sponsor.

Illegal abortion

While the mostly very young mothers certainly deserve attention, there are also a large number of schoolgirls who have secretly had an abortion. This group also needs care. “Girls who undergo an illegal abortion can suffer from physical and psychological problems. Some may even lose their ability to have children and their interest in possible relationships with men,” said Benjaporn Juntapoon, a nurse at the Health Promotion Department of Maechan Hospital in Chiang Rai province.

Based on her years of experience with this work, she says that this is not about “Bad Girls”. They are normal students, often with good study results, who fall in love and become pregnant.

Shame

Benjaporn also notes that the girls were generally completely trusted by their parents. As soon as they got into trouble, they were ashamed to talk to their parents about it. Instead, they turn to their friends and classmates, who usually get no further than advice to have an abortion in an "illegal" clinic.

The high number of unwanted pregnancies can be attributed to a number of factors. The basis is that the "physical puberty" occurs much earlier than before. Sometimes girls are fertile as early as 8 or 9 years old. Even before they get their period for the first time,” says CJ Hinke, one of the founders of “Freedom Against Censorship Thailand (FACT).

A second reason is that “sex education and contraception are not part of current curricula, although they should be mandatory,” Sunan said.

Role of parents

Parents also play an important role, of course, because, if at all, they are very reluctant to discuss this subject with their children. “I understand that something like this is not easy for parents, but it is very unwise to keep silent about it,” says Hinke.

It is not only the shyness and embarrassment of the Thai, but parents do not pay enough attention to their children anyway. “Today's parents are just too busy with their work and their own lives. Children's problems go unnoticed or ignored,” said Maechan Hospital's Benjaporn. "Sometimes the parents are the last to know that their daughters are pregnant."

Hinke pointed out that regardless of the embarrassment, society as a whole needs to be more open to contraception and abortion. “Abortion is not murder. They are unwanted children who otherwise face a difficult future,” he said.

HIV or AIDS

In addition to the large number of unplanned teenage pregnancies, another alarming statistic from Plan International shows that 85% of young mothers are not concerned about HIV or AIDS, making this group even more vulnerable.

To do something about this, Plan International wants to train 500 students in 10 schools in the north of Thailand this year. They must help promote safe sex among young people. Although small-scale, it is at least a step in the right direction.

Poverty

Data from Chiang Rai Hospital shows that in six months, more than 1000 girls under the age of 20 gave birth in the hospital. Although Thai law allows girls who have given birth to return to school, this rarely happens. Firstly, it is the poverty that almost forces these girls to work in order to feed their children. The other reason is a critical social environment. “After giving birth, they are the center of gossip among their classmates and they are ashamed to go back to school. They are also looked at with a skewed eye in the home environment, especially if it concerns a girl from an ethnic minority.”

All forms of information and assistance provided by the “Up to Me” project are aimed at convincing young girls that the temptation to have unprotected sex with their boyfriends is an impulsive and irresponsible act. Similar to lighting a candle in the stir. Before it warms you, it is wet and extinguishes.

A recent article from the Bangkok Post translated in summary form by Gringo.