The shame of teen sex comes at a high price
After Laos, Thailand has the highest number of teenage pregnancies. Teenage mothers between the ages of 15 and 19 account for 55 of all 1.000 births and the number is rising. In 2011, they gave birth to 370 children per day, compared to 240 in 2010. Girls under the age of 15 gave birth to 10 babies per day, compared to 4 a year earlier.
Dao is such a girl. She is now 23 years old and works as a cashier in a small supermarket to support herself and her young son. When she was 17 years old, she had unprotected sex with her boyfriend. True, he had entered a minimart to buy a pack of condoms, but he came out empty-handed. He had already taken the package from the shelf when a man looked at him disapprovingly. The boy was embarrassed and put the package back. When Dao's mother found out she was pregnant, she had to quit school and start working.
Government policy against teenage pregnancy is not very practical
According to Nattaya Boonpakdee of the Women's Health Advocacy Foundation, government policy to limit the high rate of teenage pregnancy is not very practical. Clinics have opened in 835 hospitals in every province, where teenagers can receive advice on birth control and STD prevention.
But few teens attend those clinics, says Nattaya. They are open during office hours, the same hours when schools are open. Teenagers who want a free condom or the contraceptive pill must register. That stops them. The medical staff should open mobile clinics in schools and factories, give sex education and set up teen networks that care for others.'
'The traditional attitude towards sex will get us nowhere. We can't stop teens from having sex. We need to focus on promoting safe sex and giving teens access to birth control drugs," says Nattaya.
She points out another problem: condoms are usually sold in mini markets, the pill in large drugstores. They are hard to find in rural areas. Somrak, 18, for example, who lives in a remote village in Nong Khai, has to travel 50 km to the nearest minimarket and, he says, a pack of condoms is expensive.
It has been proposed to put up condom devices in schools, but it is not happening. They would encourage teenagers to indulge in sex. In 2010, the National Health Assembly proposed expanding schools' curriculum to include sex education. But the Ministry of Education says the topic will be brought up in health and hygiene classes.
Ann, 16, from Phuket, confirms that the teaching material includes a chapter on sex; only her teacher skipped it. "My teacher acted like the chapter was taboo, something we shouldn't talk about."
(Source: Bangkok Post, Apr 17, 2013)