Women can take the lead

The theme of World AIDS Day 2007 is 'Take the Lead' led by the World Bank in partnership with the World Bank Youth Club, which promote HIV awareness among their peers in high schools and universities and this year's message is particularly relevant to women in Thailand. The event in Bangkok held one day prior to World AIDS Day on December 1 focused on drawing attention to the HIV risk poses to Thai women and to empower women to control the spread of the HIV epidemic.

Married women account for almost a third of annual new HIV infections in Thailand. This disturbing figure has received little attention within the media and the wider public. A major contributing factor to this figure is the large numbers of Thai men who visit sex workers while maintaining sexual relations with their long term partners, and who use condoms inconsistently. Furthermore, married women are more vulnerable to the spread of the epidemic because of the stigma that continues to surround females when they purchase condoms.

About 200 staff from a number of UN agencies based in Bangkok including UNESCO where I've been a volunteer for almost three moths chanting STOP AIDS, with some dressed is giant colourful condom costumes, distributed hundreds of condoms to females in Bangkok's financial district, Silom. Although we had tough competition from angels giving away skin cream samples, the reactions to the condoms packaged in cute hessian bags which were designed by an organization of HIV positive people in Thailand was really encouraging. While there was lots of pointing and laughter at oversized condom costumes, most women seemed happy to receive the bags and interested in the contents.

The reactions by males we passed by was much more mixed. Although condoms with male friendly packaging were available, most men were more interested in receiving a women's bag, although their reactions to its contents were hilarious, ranging from great amusement, to total disinterest and rejection of the bag.

This year's World AIDS day event was certainly a positive step in removing the stigma surrounding women accessing condoms in Thailand without fear of discrimination. It was a fun and rewarding morning and before this I had never realized how hot condom costumes I'd been wearing for three hours could be!

Jane Torney

Australian Youth Ambassador for Development

UNESCO