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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Tooru Nemoto, PhD and Fumihiko Yokota, MPH. Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco, 74 New Montgomery Street, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94105, (415) 597-9391, TNemoto@psg.ucsf.edu
This study has investigated HIV-related drug use and sexual behaviors among Japanese tourists in the Khaosan road area in Bangkok, Thailand, where a large number of foreign tourists, particularly Japanese youths, stay in inexpensive guest houses. Totally 151 subjects participated in the survey conducted by stratified sampling method. About two thirds of the study participants had used illicit drugs including marijuana, hallucinogens, ecstasy, and amphetamines, in Thailand, Japan, and other countries. A number of the participants reported current use of illicit drugs, particularly marijuana. The participants had engaged in unprotected sexual behaviors; that is, less than 100% condom use with casual partners and commercial sex workers and sex under the influence of alcohol and drugs. The participants tended to practice safer sex in Thailand than in Japan. However, in term of vaginal sex, 12.5% had never used condoms with casual partners and 11.8% had not always used condoms with sex workers in Thailand. The majority of participants had engaged in sex with casual partners and sex workers under the influence of alcohol. Those who engage in unprotected sex in Japan (sex without condom) are more likely to engage in the same behaviors in Thailand, and vise-versa. Drug abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention programs targeting Japanese youths should be established in Thailand.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.