Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - September 18, 2004
Penchan Charoensutthipan
Boonyong Vechamanesri, deputy secretary of the National and Social and Economic Development Board, said swinging sex was gaining in popularity among teenagers and young people in big cities like Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Many youngsters aged 15-23 liked to swap sex partners. Such care-free sex has sparked concern that the HIV/Aids infection rate among Thai youths could rise dramatically and pose a serious threat to the well-being of society.
He said many boys and girls were found to have had sex since their school days.
In 2001, a survey had found that Thai youths were having their first sexual experience when they were around 16-17 years old. In the 2002 survey, it was found that they were doing the same thing when they were only 13-14 years old.
The situation has worsened today as children as young as 9-10 years old were having sex, he claimed.
He said a change in attitude toward safe sex was a contributing factor. Statistics from the Public Health Ministry showed that 97% of men visiting brothels used condoms. However, only 24% of men who had sex with self-employed prostitutes used condoms.
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