Gaybutton Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 BANGKOK, Dec 1 (TNA) Thailand's disease control department revealed on World AIDS Day Friday that the number of young people with AIDS in Bangkok is the highest in the country. To mark the occasion, Bangkok recorded the highest number -- 92 young people newly-infected with HIV, according to Dr Thawat Suntrajarn, director-general of the Disease Control Department. According to the report of the Epidemiology Bureau, the number of AIDS patients aged between 15-24 years old has been rising recently with the highest rate reported among university students. The other 10 provinces which have recorded high numbers of young AIDS patients are Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nonthaburi, Phayao, Khon Kaen, Rayong, Lampang, Songkhla, and Samut Prakan. The number of male patients is higher than female patients and most of them contracted the deadly disease by sexual intercourse. According to surveys from 2004 to 2006, young people aged between 15-24 years old had little knowledge on HIV protection and the rate of condom use remained low. Dr. Prat Boonyawongvirot, Permanent Secretary for Public Health said more than one million AIDS patients were recorded in Thailand from 1984 through November 2006. Half of them already died while 556, 848 people with AIDS are still alive and have received medical treatment. There have been 15,174 infections reported this year with an average of 40 new cases daily--or almost two persons per minute on average. He said it is worrying that 0.44 per cent of pregnant girls aged between 15-19 years old were infected with HIV in mid 2006 although there had been no infections among this group reported earlier. (TNA)-E004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
