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Government Must do More to Fend off AIDS – says nationwide opinion poll
UN Development Programme Survey Unleashes Strong Views on HIV and AIDS in Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand, 25 November -- Nearly two-thirds of Thais feel that the Government is not doing enough to deal with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and about 70% want AIDS education to begin as early as primary school. While most Thais understand how the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is spread, Thai youth do not believe they are at risk of getting infected. Surprisingly, more married people than singles feel at risk of HIV infection. These and other candid viewpoints are revealed in the country’s first nationwide Opinion Poll on HIV/AIDS, conducted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Research Institute of Bangkok University in Thailand.
This unprecedented countrywide poll was carried out among 7,500 Thais — male and female of all ages — in both rural and urban areas. Despite near universal good understanding of how HIV is transmitted—and how it is not transmitted—the opinion poll reveals that many Thais are fearful of people living with HIV/AIDS. In fact, nearly 40 percent of respondents believe their own families would reject them if they were to become infected by HIV. One-third say that teachers who become infected with HIV/AIDS should not be allowed to teach in school. Sixty percent of those polled would not buy food from someone who has the AIDS virus.
A stunning 95% of people in Thailand think that AIDS is still a problem in the country, despite the remarkable success of Thailand in reducing yearly new infections in the 1990s—from 143,000 new infections at the peak of the epidemic in 1991, to roughly 20,000 last year. Some 61 percent think that the Government is no longer doing enough to deal with HIV/AIDS. Fifty-eight percent feel that current efforts to provide AIDS education to teenagers are inadequate.
Despite high levels of knowledge about how the virus is transmitted, three-quarters of those surveyed feel confident that they are not at risk of AIDS infection. Young people especially seem to be in denial about the dangers of HIV/AIDS: nearly 80% of 15-25 year olds believe they are not at risk of infection. This may explain why only 20% of sexually active young people are using condoms consistently, according to another UNDP study release earlier this year. Surprisingly, the group that feels most at risk is married women, apparently worried about their husbands’ sexual behavior.
The opinion poll also shows that most Thais have a liberal, even progressive attitude about AIDS education and condom promotion targeted at young people. More than 68 percent feel that AIDS education should start at primary school level. They want kids at an early age to understand the dangers of HIV infection and learn how to protect themselves before they become sexually active. Well over half want condom vending machines in universities or colleges. This popular opinion runs counter to some education officials and politicians who are opposing the idea of promoting condoms in schools.
For more information or to line up interviews, please contact:
Punnipa Ruangtorsak
Tel: +66 2 288 2130
Email: punnipa.ruangtorsak@undp.org
