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from Medical Issues
HIV Rates Rising Dramatically
In Asia Among Gays/Bisexuals
March 23, 2006 -
The Associated Press reported on March 22 that HIV infections are on a steep
increase throughout Asia. The data comes from a U.N.-funded surveillance program
that is monitoring the worldwide AIDS pandemic.
In Bangkok, Thailand, HIV rates among gay and bisexual men increased from 17% in
2003 to 28% in 2005, according to a Thai study and the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC).
Phucid Junsaengsook with the gay-affirmative Rainbow Sky Association expressed
concern about gays and bisexuals seeking out unsafe sex in bathhouses. He
observed: "For those who go to a bathhouse, they want to have fun. Sometime when
they meet people, they are living in the moment and don't worry about a condom.
This really worries me. It's not about only one person's health. It's about
everyone around them. I have a lot of friends who contracted HIV just because
they had unprotected sex once."
Similar trends were discovered by the U.N. surveillance program in Mumbai, India
(18%) and 12.8% in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Additional Reading: Medical Issues
Updated: 8 February 2008
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