"Stopping Teenage Pregnancy and STDs"... Thailand Distributes Free Contraceptives

Easily Receive via Application

The Thai government will distribute contraceptives for free to reduce the teenage pregnancy rate.

According to the Bangkok Post on the 21st (local time), the National Health Security Office (NHSO) of Thailand has decided to distribute condoms and birth control pills in cooperation with the state-owned Krungthai Bank (KTB).

The NHSO described this policy as "a measure to prevent unintended pregnancies among teenagers and sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)."

[Image source=Pixabay]

Starting this month, Thai women aged 15 to 59 can apply for birth control pills through an application. After applying, they can visit designated pharmacies or hospitals to receive up to 13 packs of birth control pills annually. Thai males aged 13 and older can visit nearby medical institutions with their ID cards to receive 10 condoms per week for free.

Teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections such as AIDS have emerged as social issues in Thailand. In response, the government has prepared policies to reduce teenage pregnancies and protect those who give birth at a young age.

On the 19th, the Ministry of Education of Thailand established a policy to protect the right to education for pregnant students. According to the policy, ▲ all educational institutions in Thailand cannot expel pregnant students or transfer them to other schools without their consent, ▲ universities and other institutions can grant maternity leave to pregnant students, and ▲ class schedules must be adjusted accordingly.

Meanwhile, last year, the pregnancy rate among 15-19-year-olds in Thailand was 25 per 1,000, down from 31 per 1,000 in 2019. During the same period, the pregnancy rate among 10-14-year-olds dropped from 1.1 per 1,000 to 0.9 per 1,000.

The Thai government aims to reduce the pregnancy rate to 15 per 1,000 for ages 15-19 and 0.5 per 1,000 for ages 10-14.