Pattaya teens get schooled as STI surge sparks sex-ed crackdown
Tripling teen syphilis rates trigger urgent condom campaign in classrooms
Pattaya schoolkids are being taught the hard facts about safe sex as Thailand battles a shocking surge in sexually transmitted infections (STI) among teens, with cases tripling and condom use plummeting.
Mayor Poramese Ngamphichet this week launched a no-nonsense sex-ed programme at Pattaya City School 7 (Ban Nong Phang Khae), aimed at clamping down on risky behaviour among students aged 13 to 18.
The programme, run by Pattaya’s Disease Prevention and Control Division, comes as teenage infections of HIV, gonorrhoea and syphilis soar in cities across Thailand, including Bangkok, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai and Nakhon Ratchasima, reported Pattaya News.
Pattaya’s new initiative covers everything from consistent condom use and HPV vaccinations to sexual health check-ups and avoiding risky partners. The goal? To hammer home the message that safe sex isn’t just smart, it’s essential.
A city health spokesperson said the training aims to “empower young people with the knowledge and tools to protect their sexual health effectively, bringing a safer and healthier future for the community.”
And the numbers are grim.
Last year, Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) revealed that syphilis cases among teens had tripled compared to previous years, with infections among pregnant women up fivefold in just 12 months.
DDC spokesperson Weerawat Manosutthi issued a warning.
“The situation regarding STDs in Thailand has worsened over the past five years, with a sharp annual rise in patients, especially those with syphilis.”
A July 18 report showed syphilis rates across Thailand have doubled since 2018, jumping from 11 to 28.1 per 100,000 people. Among teens, that figure exploded from 27.9 to 91.2.
The rise among expectant mothers is even more alarming, leaping from 0.26 per 100,000 last year to 1.3 this year.
With STDs now spreading faster than ever, health chiefs say the classroom is the front line in the fight and that arming teens with facts could stop a public health disaster in its tracks.
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Well, since you hand out oral contraceptives like they’re candy to these young women, usually starting at age 12, then it’s unlikely that they’ll bother with the condoms since the potential for pregnancy is mostly removed. Then you pretend to wonder why your birth rates are far below replacement levels and STI levels are so high.