January 6, 2011
Thailand's Public Health Ministry is warning teenagers not to use plastic bags as a substitute for condoms. The practice, which a survey showed some youths in the nation's northeast have adopted, could lead to STDs as well as to genital injury and infection, the ministry said. The ministry distributes more than 20 million condoms a year to the public, including through volunteers and primary care units in villages. About 5 million condoms a year are purchased from some 20,000 vending machines the ministry has installed in public spaces. Efforts to raise awareness of condom use and pregnancy prevention among young people will be accelerated, said Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit.