BANGKOK, 26 September 2017, (NNT) - The Planned Parenthood Association of Thailand (PPAT) has announced a campaign to promote birth control in the so-called Thailand 4.0 era on the occasion of World Contraception Day 2017.
The Bureau of Reproductive Health called attention to the issue of unwanted pregnancy in Thailand. The agency made known that children and young adults ages 10 - 20 can request contraceptive assistance from health centers and hospitals, in accordance with 2016 Act for Prevention and Solution of the Adolescent Pregnancy Problem.
According to the bureau, the number of babies born to mothers ages 10-19 in 2016 was 94,584, an average of 252 infants per day. As much as 11.9% or 11,225 girls in this age group mothered more than one baby. A total of 2,746 girls ages 10-14 gave birth last year, an average of eight infants per day.
PPAT Chairman Dr. Surasak Thanipanichsakul, stated that his agency's policies align with those of the International Planned Parenthood Federation. PPAT works with the private sector in using technology and social media to communicate with its target audience. The agency hopes to raise awareness of birth control and planned parenthood. According to Dr. Surasak, information has been spread to border areas, hill tribes and the four southernmost provinces.
According to an online poll available from www.your-life.com, 87.1% of respondents realize the importance of contraception, but 60.2% of those that have been sexually active ignore contraceptives. A total of 201 teenagers and young adults between the ages of 13-25 participated in the survey.
Dr. Surasak expressed concern about the lack of knowledge on birth control at educational institutes, calling on all parties to prioritize the matter and disseminate information to all teens.
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