Condoms to be given out at gay nightspots

[Guest fountainhall]

A new

[Guest kjun12]

When I first started coming to Thailand there were free condoms at many bars. Don't think it made things any better. Many Thai boys seem to have a serious misconception that if one does not look ill then he is not infected. Very sad because so many of them seem to continue to get infected with HIV.

[Guest fountainhall]

Very sad because so many of them seem to continue to get infected with HIV.

I am sure one reason for this is the lack of any overall co-operation amongst those who run the gay establishments. I remember when HIV and AIDS first appeared, it took a long time to persuade the bath house owners in the west that their premises could be a breeding ground for the virus. Eventually, gay organisations and official bodies finally persuaded them to spread the safe sex message or, in many cases, close down altogether.

 

In Japan there also seems to be some formal organisation to encourage (enforce?) co-operation. With few exceptions, all the many saunas virtually closed their doors to foreigners at the same time in the late 1980s. Even more than 20 years later, many still remain no-go areas for gaijin.

 

Here in Thailand, from what I read and hear from Thai friends, it seems that sauna operators in particular are subject to no rules about spreading the safe sex message. Without some form of pressure from local gay activist groups and the government, I agree with kjun12. The new Condom Point initiative is not going to have much success - unfortunately.