BANGKOK, Feb 14 — As birth rate in Thailand among girls aged under 20 is second highest among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after Laos, the Public Health Ministry has issued directives for Thai youngsters to follow on Saturday, which is Valentine’s Day.
Spokeswoman of the ministry, Dr Panpimol Wipulakorn, said official statistics released by the UN World Health Organisation in 2011 showed that the birth rate among young Thai girls ranked second after Laos in ASEAN, while research conducted in Thailand showed that many Thai youngsters now have their first sexual experience at ages between 15 – 16 compared to aged 18 – 19 only a few years ago.
Urging the teenagers to love intelligently and in a proper way on Valentine’s Day, Dr Panpimol said gambling also led teenagers to abuse alcohol, use violence and weapons, while the chances of attempting suicide were also higher due to depression.
Male teenagers are urged to stick to five methods, including avoid thinking of having sex with their young companions, not ignoring morality, remembering negative consequences such as abortion, avoiding being a night owl and always wearing a condom when having sex.
Dr Panpimol also asked female teenagers to be extremely careful in their actions which could be misinterpreted by their young boyfriends, not to trust their boyfriends too easily, stay home after 10 pm, not consuming alcohol or watching pornographic films and to understand the importance of Valentine’s Day in an accurate way such the misconception of having sexual relations as proof of love. (MCOT online news)
