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Dr Paijit Warachit, permanent secretary for Public Health, said Wednesday the problem partly explained why about half of the 321,650 Aids patients in the country were now between 25 and 34 years old.

"Such a ratio reflects that so many of these patients have been infected with Aids during their teens," he said at a forum in Nakhon Pathom.

Held at the Rose Garden Hotel, the twoday forum kicked off Wednesday with the aim of empowering networks that will work to prevent the spread of Aids.

About 250 representatives from 52 educational institutes, the Office of Vocational Education Commission, the Office of Higher Education Commission, the Office of NonFormal Education Commission, and various organisations attended the event.

Paijit disclosed the findings from his ministry's recent report on the Aids situation as of September 30.

The report showed that condomuse rate among teenagers during casual sex was less than 50 per cent, and the average age when teenagers had sex for the first time was 15 years.

Paijit said having sex during school years without using a condom could lead to various problems such as infections and unwanted pregnancies.