HIV rate among Thailand's prostitutes

[Guest]

According to an editorial in todays's issue of the Indian online paper www.thenewspapertoday.com, 70% of Bombay's "commercial sex workers" are HIV+. It is estimated that in 2005 there will be at least 20 million infected Indians.

Has anybody found reliable figures on the HIV rate among Thai prostitutes?

The worst that I have come across is an infection rate of 40% for prostitutes in cheap red-light areas of Chiang Mai. Bad enough!

P.S. If the above link doese not work, type www.thenewspapertoday.com into Internet Explorer or Netscape Explorer, or try this link.

[ June 29, 2001: Message edited by: Scum_Baggio ]

[Guest]

I'm answering myself here for a change. Some figures that I just found on the web:

General HIV rate in the Northern Provinces: 9%;

in some villages in Phayao province:

20% or more;

among "brothel-based" prostitutes in Thailand: 18.5%.

The Yankee "Stars and Stripes" of Oct.2nd 2000 claims that the infection rate among Pattaya's prostitutes is 80-90%.

Wrap yourselves up warm.

[Stickman]

80 - 90%? You must be joking.... 2 - 5% would be my guess.

[elef]

The bars I pick up girls from in Pattaya are checking the girls, some every week, some just monthly. The 3 Sabai houses also every month. So these places must have a very low rate of VD (including HIV). But of course the girls kicked out from these places do not stop working, so in other bars etc the rate must be higher.

I remember reading in international newspapers that last time US Fleet visited Pattaya gave the result of 3 or 4 sailors became HIV-positive.

elef

[sanukdee]

This thread reminds me of something I read in the Trink column ...

37.5% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

Nuff said?!?

[Guest]

to elef

as for those health "checks" done by the bars you frequent in pattaya, well i wouldn't rely on them- most of that is a crock- the girls don't go, or pay clinics or doctors to give them a clean bill of health without testing-

my experience is that bars and go-go's may insist on checks before a girl starts working- after that it's hit and miss- some upscale massage parlors have frequent testing with their own doctors but as for bars, forget about it being legit

[ June 30, 2001: Message edited by: tanha ]

[Guest]

The figure of 80-90% HIV rate for prostitutes in Pattaya certainly seems an exaggeration, or a wild guess.

Interestingly, the article in which this figure was mentioned seemed more concerned with the prevalence of a resistent strain of gonorrhea in Pattaya than with HIV. Maybe the American military just wanted to instil a bit of healthy fear into their folks?

[elef]

To tanha

My thai GF takes me to some special bars (before she go away business). She trusts the bar owners - as she say if I get something she also get the same.

For Pattaya 5-10 % is my estimation based on result of the US Fleet visit.

Statistics deals with percentages - regarding VD everybody has the possibility to better the chances/minimizing the risks.

I mean, if in some bars the risk for HIV is under 1 %, in others 90 % - even if the average is 5-10 % - which bar would you choose if you have that information?

elef

[ July 01, 2001: Message edited by: elef ]

[Guest]

Originally posted by elef:

"The bars I pick up girls from in Pattaya are checking the girls, some every week, some just monthly."

The problem is though, that the antibodies to HIV only show 3-6 months after the infection, and before that the girls can pass it on to many punters. So as far as HIV is concerned, the checks are pretty useless.

[elef]

If you make HIV-test first time 3 months is enough. But if you have tested before in same clinic and they have something to compare with, you can discover after 1 month a specialist told me.

Even with testing the risk is there - always. But still I prefer low risk instead of high risk.

elef

[ July 01, 2001: Message edited by: elef ]