Unusual Ways to Fight AIDS in Thailand
Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today's Spotlight program. I'm Rebekah Schipper.
Voice 2
And I'm Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
HIV and AIDS is a big problem around the world. The virus spreads quickly. And many people do not have the right information about it. They do not know how to prevent or control it. It is very dangerous. And there is no cure for AIDS.
Voice 2
AIDS is a fast-growing problem in Asia. Asia has the largest population in the world. In Asia, just the countries of China and India are home to two billion [2,000,000,000] people. That is one third [1/3] of the world's total population!
Voice 1
The UN AIDS programme says that AIDS is spreading faster in Asia than in any other place. Five million [5,000,000] people in India are infected. In parts of Indonesia, infection rates have risen to seventeen percent [17%]. And UNAIDS estimates that ten million [10,000,000] people in China could be infected with HIV by 2010.
Voice 2
The problem was also severe in the Asian country of Thailand. The first reported case of AIDS appeared in Thailand in nineteen eighty four [1984]. Since then, Thailand has worked to slow the spread of AIDS there. Their AIDS policies are strong and effective. But some people could say that they are also a little strange! Today's Spotlight is on the fight against AIDS in Thailand. Today we will share with you some of the strange and interesting ways that the government of Thailand deals with preventing AIDS.
Voice 1
You may have heard another Spotlight program about Mechai Viravaidya. He teaches the people of Thailand about family planning and safe sex. He also spreads information about HIV and AIDS in Thailand.
Voice 2
Some people in Thailand call Mechai ‘the condom king.' That is because he works hard to encourage one hundred percent [100%] condom use in Thailand. Voice 1
Condoms are thin rubber protective covers. Men can wear them when they have sex. Using a condom increases protection for both people. Some people use condoms to avoid becoming pregnant.
Voice 2
But people can also use condoms to avoid sexually transmitted diseases. There are many dangerous diseases a person can get when he or she has sex with an infected person. These diseases can pass through body fluids during sex.
Voice 1
The best way to avoid getting a sexually transmitted disease is to avoid having sex. A person can save the experience of sex until he or she gets married. But, if a person does have sex, he should use a condom to avoid getting sick. Experts everywhere agree that using a condom decreases a person's risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease, even HIV. A person can still get a sexually transmitted disease or HIV even if he uses a condom. But the risk is much lower.
Voice 2
For many people there is a stigma, or bad idea, attached to condoms. They think that condoms are dirty or strange. They feel shame talking about sexual things like condoms. But Mechai asks:
Voice 3
“Why do condoms (make you feel shame)? (If you are ashamed of condoms) you should also (feel ashamed) about tennis balls. They contain a lot more rubber.”
Voice 1
Mostly, Mechai tries to remove the stigma from condoms. He tries to take the mystery out of this object. And he often uses humour to get his message across.
Voice 3
“Sex sells. So does humour ... I wanted to take the seriousness and (shame) out of birth control and make it a clean fun thing. I wanted people to accept (condoms) the same way they do (cleaning) soap and toothpaste. Sometimes I shocked people, sometimes I made them laugh. The important thing was to make them think and react.”
Voice 2
Mechai encourages people to think and react through many different methods and projects. Mechai spreads his message through advertisements. The advertisements include t-shirts, special cartoon characters, and holiday greeting cards. These objects show pictures of condoms. They may also include a message encouraging people to use condoms. Voice 1
He also spreads his message by getting other people involved. He asked taxi drivers to give out free condoms to their passengers.
Voice 2
He sets up competitions. In these competitions people blow up a condom like a balloon.
Voice 1
In the past, Mechai has also asked religious leaders to bless condoms. He asked them to put holy water on the condoms for some religious Thai people.
Voice 2
One of Mechai's strangest, and most popular, projects is a restaurant. Cabbage, a green round vegetable, is a common part of the Thai diet. Mechai says that he wanted to make condoms as common as cabbages in Thailand. So, he started a restaurant called ‘Cabbages and Condoms.' People can come to the restaurant for a good tasting meal. But, they also will learn about safe sex.
Voice 1
Sometimes after a meal at a nice restaurant, people get a sweet dessert mint. But at ‘Cabbages and Condoms' a person gets a package of condoms instead! And the money the restaurant earns goes toward more AIDS education in Thailand.
Voice 2
Mechai's work with condoms was very successful. Experts say that his work encouraging condom use has saved over eight million [8,000,000] lives. In fact, it was so successful, that many people in Thailand have a new slang word for condoms. They call them ‘Mechai's!' Voice 1
Some people may think that some of these methods are a little strange. But Mechai hopes to export his ideas to other countries. He hopes they will also have a big effect on the AIDS problem in other parts of the world.
Voice 2
In whatever he does, Mechai tries to involve as many people as possible to spread information about AIDS. He tries to encourage banks, insurance companies, police, film stars and other businesses and people with influence to join the fight. He asks these businesses and people to give out condoms and AIDS information. When everybody joins the fight, the public understands that there is an important problem.
Voice 1
AIDS is a problem that affects whole communities. Every person must help to keep the country healthy. And Mechai is sure that with everyone's help AIDS can disappear. Voice 3
“This is not just a health problem. It is a societal problem. Everyone needs to be involved - the business sector, religious sector, education sector, government...We can make the next generation almost AIDS free.”
Voice 1
The writer and producer of this program was Liz Waid. Computer users can hear more Spotlight programs on our website at www.radio.english.net. This program is called “Unusual Ways to Fight AIDS in Thailand.”
Voice 2
Some of the information in this program came from a series of television programs. The programs were produced by PBS, a public television channel in the United States. These television programs told about several “World Health Champions” and the communities they work in. If you would like more information about this series of programs you can find a link to PBS on our website. Just look for the script page for this program. You can also email us at radio @ english . net. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program! Goodbye!
