Thais worried by AIDS risk among teenagers.
Thailand is on the right track in its fight against AIDS, but there are signs of a rise in teenage infections, its National AIDS Committee said.  Committee spokesman Somtrong Rakphoa said Thailand has been successful in limiting HIV infections since estimating 3 years ago there would be 2 million people infected by 2000.  "As of today the Public Health Ministry estimates only 1 million people are infected," he told a news conference.  However, while infection among high-risk groups was generally declining, signs were that infection among teenagers was rising.  "Studies show that only 20% of teenagers use condoms during sexual intercourse and there are signs of a rising trend of teenage infections," Somtrong said without elaborating.  Surveys showed that HIV infection among male military conscripts had fallen to 1.2% in late 1999 from 4% in 1992.  For blood donors, the infection rate fell to 0.41% from 1.2% over the same period. Somtrong said the 2.9% rate among pregnant women in 1995 had fallen to 1.5%, while the 9.48% rate for female sex workers in 1994 had declined to 6.5%.  However, infection among intravenous drug users had risen from 39% in 1989 to 51% of those surveyed, he said.  Somtrong said about 40,000 people had died of AIDS in Thailand since 1985.
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; D001208:Asia; D001210:Asia, Southeastern; D003906:Developing Countries; D004194:Disease; D015658:HIV Infections; D013785:Thailand; D014777:Virus Diseases
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome--statistics; Asia; Developing Countries; Diseases; Hiv Infections--statistics; Southeastern Asia; Thailand; Viral Diseases