Maarten Vasbinder lives in Isaan. His profession is general practitioner, a profession that he mainly practiced in Spain. On Thailandblog he answers questions from readers who live in Thailand and writes about medical facts.
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Dear Martin,
I have two questions on behalf of my girlfriend.
First question is: my friend lost her mother at the age of seven. And has since taken care of her two younger sisters along with her grandmother. Not a good start of course. Now she doesn't know if she has been vaccinated against polio, etc
Is it still necessary to do that at twenty-three? Or is it wiser to do it? We have already been to Bangkok Hospital but she did not understand it.
And the second question: which contraceptive pill can she take because she has tried some but she doesn't like the side effects like headaches or only thinking about food etc etc.
I hope you can help us.
Regards,
R.
*******
Dear R,
As far as vaccinations are concerned, I recommend doing everything. So the whole Thai program. Polio occasionally reappears in war zones, including Pakistan and Afghanistan. Safer to vaccinate. It is best to go to a regular local clinic and not to an expensive private hospital.
As far as contraception is concerned, Microgynon is the least harmful pill, especially the low dosage of 20mcg. Unfortunately not available in Thailand. Maybe bring a stock from NL.
In general, most side effects disappear after a few months. The story that the pill makes you fat is demonstrably untrue and in general it is good Thai practice to preoccupy yourself with food all day long.
Your girlfriend could also think of an intrauterine device (DIU), for example Mirena, which works for 5 years. Your girlfriend may experience some discomfort during the first few months, but that also usually passes.
Sincerely,
Martin Vasbinder