Young people's attitudes toward people with HIV changing

Lalita Wadwong, 18, from Triamudomsuksanomklao School in Bangkok, said that though she knows the virus can only be contracted via sex, blood transfusions, use of infected needles or from mothers to babies, she is still not comfortable around people living with Aids and tries to stay away.

“Also my peers aren’t that interested in learning about HIV/Aids. We studied about it as part of our health education classes in Mathayom 4, and were shown how it can be passed on from one person to another and what we can do to avoid it. I’m not that interested in learning more because I’m not in the high-risk group,” she added. 

When asked if she would dare purchase a condom before going to bed with someone, she said she would be too embarrassed and would probably ask a friend or her partner to buy it. Though confirming that she would certainly use a condom, Lalita said she did not plan to have sex any time soon because she wanted to wait until she is older. 

In comparison, 16-year-old Saengduan Chanto from Samut Prakan School said she was not afraid of people living with HIV, because it was not that bad. 

“People should be more forgiving. Those living with HIV/Aids did not want to get this disease. Imagine yourself in their shoes,” she said, adding that she and her peers often talked about using condoms and having monogamous relationships in order to protect themselves. 

“I would use a condom to protect myself from STDs and to avoid getting pregnant. Though I haven’t bought a condom before, I believe I would dare purchase it myself despite feeling shy. If you dare have sex, then you should be daring enough to protect yourself,” she added.

Nithinan Chanrod, 15, from Burarat School in Samut Prakan, meanwhile, said he did not worry about getting the virus if he lived with people living with HIV because transmission was not that easy. He said that most teens, himself included, believed that it was necessary to use condoms. 

“Wearing a condom when having sex helps prevent problems because we’re not of age yet and if the girl gets pregnant, I would not be able to take care of her. Though I haven’t had sex yet, I know I would always use a condom. It would certainly prevent pregnancy and STDs,” he added. 

When asked if he would be embarrassed when purchasing condoms, he said it depended very much on how many people were standing nearby. If there are too many people, he said he would feel shy, though if there were not too many bystanders, he would go ahead with buying them.