Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - February 15, 2007
Anjira Assavanonda
The doctor said there were a number of reasons why teenage girls should say "no" to their boyfriends who ask for sex as a way to test the strength of their love.
Dr Suriyadeo Tripathi, chief of the Adolescent Clinic under the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, said reports by the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) showed that over the past few years, more than 60% of Thais aged between 15-24 were at risk of contracting STDs within a year of having lost their virginity.
"Some teenage girls start to protect themselves by using condoms or contraceptive pills within a year after having sex for the first time. But only 20% use condoms regularly," said Dr Suriyadeo on Tuesday.
Unicef figures show that up to 60,000 teenagers aged 15-19 have contracted HIV/Aids because of unsafe sex and that the disease is now the second most common cause of death for teenagers after accidents.
"Chronic diseases from sexual relationships are what's threatening Thai teenagers, especially girls now," said Dr Suriyadeo.
He said the most common STDs among teenage girls are gonorrhea and chlamydia, which could cause pelvic inflammation, ectopic pregnancy and infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) which is a cause of cervical cancer.
"Most cases of HPV infection show no symptoms and 80% will recover in a few years, but 20% become chronic and have a higher risk of developing cervical cancer," said Dr Suriyadeo.
The problem with Thai teenagers, however, is that they are embarrassed or afraid to tell their parents when they contract the diseases, making the problems even worse, he warned.
To try and protect teenagers from the risk, Dr Suriyadeo urged the media to be more responsible by refraining from stimulating sexual temptations among young people.
He also suggested a campaign be launched calling on teenagers to stick to the four "No's," - no 'open invitations', no seductive behavior, no 'going too far', and no alcohol.
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