AIDS Prevention in Bhutan

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Condom awareness in Gomphu Kora Tshechu

Posted on Wednesday, April 07 @ 18:14:22 CDT BST

Trashiyangtse : 7 April 2004 - As a group of Dhakpa girls from Tawang, India,

fetched water from the river across Gomphu Kora lhakhang in Trashiyangste,

something floating on the water caught their eyes - an air filled balloon? No a

blown up condom on closer inspection. Suppressing giggles, they waited till the

overstretched condom floated away with the flow.

Condoms were a special feature during the annual three-day Gomphu Kora festival

that ended on April 1. And it fitted well with the theme of the festival which

basically celebrates fertility. The contraceptive was distributed to all

sections of the people gathered at the festival - children, adults, housewives,

students and even the monks and the aged.

Health officials said that about 7,500 boxes of condoms were distributed, almost

equal to the number of raffles and lottery tickets sold during the festival.

Tshechu goers freely picked up the silver coloured strips from wooden boxes

placed at various locations at the venue. Soon even tourists joined the health

officials in distributing the protective sheath.

The condom campaign was part of the family planning and HIV/AIDS campaign

spearheaded by Her Majesty the Queen Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck the goodwill

ambassador of UNFPA, who joined the thousands gathered for the Gomphu Kora

Tsechu.

Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck informally mingled with the people passing on the

message of family planning, protected sex, health and sanitation, and other

reproductive health issues and inaugurated an exhibition on HIV/AIDS and family

planning set up by the multi-sectoral task force (MSTF) of Trashiyangtse and

Trashigang.

The Tshechu gathering was also informed of the latest statistics of HIV/AIDS

cases in the country by public health officials who demonstrated to the public

on how to slip on a condom. " This time we are demystifying condoms among the

locals here, " said Dr Dorji Wangchuk of the health ministry. " We want people to

understand that condoms are necessary commodities that can help in controlling

both family planning and the spread of HIV/AIDS. " Thinley Wangdi, a class IX

student of Tshenkharla middle secondary school who picked up two strips of

condoms told Kuensel that he has " never used them " .

But another student of the same school said he had used it thrice in his

village. " I learnt about HIV/AIDS only last year when our school did a play on

it. But most of my friends in the village still don't know about it. "

Many of women and girls at the festival claimed ignorance of HIV/AIDS. Said

Dechen Pelden, a businesswoman and a mother of three children : " I have never

heard about HIV/AIDS and I also missed the talks on Tuesday. But she was aware

about family planning and had undergone tubectomy after her third child.

Awareness levels on HIV/AIDS is still low but it has been steadily increasing

with the establishment of the MSTF last year and campaigns by health officials

said Gembo of Tomiyangtse.

Besides memories of a traditional festival that is well known for its night

life, festival goers will also be carrying condoms which some if not all will

use.

By Bishal Rai in Gompu Kora, bishal@...

http://www.kuenselonline.com/article.php?sid=3930

________________________

HIV claims more victims

Posted on Saturday, March 27 @ 11:31:22 CST BST

27 March 2004 - A 36-year old businessman died this month of malaria after the

HIV virus had destroyed his immune system and the virus has infected another

Bhutanese, a 37-year old male civil servant who found out when he took a routine

medical check outside Bhutan.

According to the public health department, the two people had contracted the

disease through unprotected sex with commercial sex workers. Both were married.

This takes the total of known HIV infections in Bhutan to 46, with eight having

died of AIDS and one of malaria.

Health officials said that sexual contact with commercial sex workers, almost

all from outside Bhutan, was the main source of infection among the HIV Positive

in Bhutan.

Health officials pointed out that the increasing number of sex workers in

Thimphu and Phuentsholing, coupled with the low level of condom use, could push

the rising prevalence of HIV in sex workers to become a primary source of HIV

infection in the country.

Six sex workers, including two Bhutanese women, are known to have HIV Infection.

About 20 commercial sex workers in Phuentsholing are under health surveillance

although health officials suspect there are more women in the business.

However, in Bhutan, the infection seemed to be spreading to all sections of the

population contrary to popular notion that HIV virus was prevalent in a sex

worker and a truck or a taxi driver group. Of the 46 infections, people from the

civil service, business community and other agencies topped the list.

The infection trend in Bhutan, like in other countries, was that the husband

brought home the HIV virus, said the director of the public health department,

Dr Dorji Wangchuk. This was evident from the 19 females, mostly housewives,

infected with the disease out of 46 cases.

Some HIV positive men did not practice safe sex with their wives and had, in the

process, transferred the virus.

Health officials said they were now counseling spouses. Infected people were

encouraged to reveal their HIV status to their spouses and, health officials

say, it was proving successful with more than three success cases reported,

" despite a nerve-racking process " . " Unprotected sex (without using condoms) with

commercial sex workers and unfaithful partners appear to be the main reason

behind the rise in HIV infections in Bhutan, " Dr Dorji Wangchuk said.

India, Thailand, Myanmar, and Indonesia, have six million HIV infections. India

has 4.58 million HIV cases with the disease concentrated in states like Manipur

and Nagaland.

By Kencho Wangdi, kencho@...