A political activist urged the government to introduce legislation banning people under the age of 22 from having sex, in an effort to reduce the number of HIV cases in Thailand.
During a parliamentary session, Deputy Minister of Public Health Chaichana Daecho admitted that HIV infection rates among young people had increased. He emphasised that the ministry was aware of the issue and planned to implement measures to curb the rise in cases.
According to Chaichana, the ministry is aiming to reduce the number of new HIV infections to fewer than 1,000 cases per year and HIV-related deaths to fewer than 4,000 annually.
The first phase of the campaign involved students, particularly those at university level, about the disease. Secondly, the government planed to distribute free condoms to teenagers to promote safe sex.
Yesterday, July 8, Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin launched the initiative by distributing 3,000 condoms to King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang.
However, Mongkolkit Suksintharanon, advisor to the Democrat Party leader and former leader of the Thai Civilised Party, expressed opposition to the Ministry’s strategy. He argued that distributing free condoms addresses the symptoms rather than the root cause of the problem.
Mongkolkit shared an alternative proposal via his Facebook account, suggesting the government should enact a law prohibiting sexual activity among those under 22 years of age. He claimed the idea originated from his daughter.
“I would like to propose this measure to the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. Students pursuing a Bachelor’s degree or under the age of 22 must not engage in sexual activity.
It puts them at risk of HIV, other sexually transmitted infections, poor academic performance, and unplanned pregnancies. Anyone who violates this law should be suspended or expelled from university. Giving away condoms does not address the root cause. P.S. This idea came from my daughter.”
Mongkolkit further argued that teenagers are likely to experiment with unprotected sex regardless of access to free condoms. He added that condom distribution could inadvertently increase HIV cases, as young people may feel encouraged to have sex once they receive condoms, even if they had no prior intention to do so.
Many Thai netizens strongly disagreed with Mongkolkit’s views. Some questioned when he first had sex himself. In response, Mongkolkit admitted he first engaged in sexual activity at the age of 16, prompting further criticism and scepticism about the feasibility of his proposal.
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