The rates of infection with HIV and other sexually
transmitted diseases among Thai soldiers have dropped significantly due
to an extensive government campaign that advocates condom use and deters
visits to prostitutes. A joint project involving the Johns Hopkins
University School of Hygiene and Public Health, Thailand's Chiang Mai
University, and the Royal Thai Army Medical Corps tracked sexual
behavior and infection rates in more than 4,000 military recruits to
determine the efficacy of the Thai government's "100 percent Condom
Program," initiated in 1991. The study--published in the March 26
issue of the journal AIDS--compared a 1991 recruit group with a 1993
recruit group, testing the soldiers every 6 months over a 2-year period.
The rate of HIV infection declined fivefold, while frequency of STDs
dropped tenfold during the study. Moreover, 14 percent of 1991 recruits
reported inconsistent condom use, compared to only 2.5 percent of the
later recruits. The researchers suggested that other countries dealing
with major AIDS epidemics follow the Thai program, noting that the
decrease in high-risk behavior achieved in Thailand among the population
of young adults is "unprecedented."
