Saturday, October 16, 2010

Another counteractive...Only thing Thai authorities could ever do for any problem

Following up on the news about a 17-year-old girl that tried to perform self-abortion with prescription drug, Cytotec she bought on-line. just to remind the news content that the girl had been 8mon pregnant and she was bleeding and almost unconscious when the medic found her.

So, Police found that she transferred money to this woman in Chonburi named Pin Sirisaringharn on for an EMS package of Cytotec. The woman was arrested on Friday evening (2 days after the girl rescued by Medic). The Public Health ministry did a brief press conference on the arrest.


image from Thairath-online, October 15th edition

What a Shame.

That's all the authority can do, patch where it bleed. This incident simply says out high-school students has no knowledge on sex-education. She doesn't realize that 8 months is too late to do the abortion. She and her boyfriend didn't realize how important to have protected intercourse, and certainly the adult doesn't have any channel to help them get tough this unwanted incident anonymously.

One vendor caught, and another thousand to go and another hundred start selling these illegal stuffs everyday. Our population need to be educated and moral need to be planted, somewhere somehow.

This country need a hotline or a clinic that whoever already had unwanted incident happen could just call for some advice. And it could not be just anyone at the end of the line, it should be person with expertise in Child Psychology and Health. this is sensitive issue that needs both prevention measure, counteractive measures and assistant to the needed ones.

Sex-Education for our children, so they know their body, and know what is right and wrong. The research has shown sex-education at young age help curb the number of STDs infection and unwanted pregnancy. We are not drum up to tell them to just have sex but we tell them how to take care of themselves and have them make their own decision. We teach them anything or not, it's going to happen, so we should equip them with knowledge.

Yes I am mumbling  and complaining... I should do something about this.

Information on Cytotec
Cytotec is for reducing stomach acid production and protects the stomach lining also help prevent stomach ulcers.thai doctor prescribe Cytotec for bowel or small intestine infection. Cytotec causes uterine contractions that could lead to a miscarriage.
It was used for labor induction till A November 1999 Committee Opinion of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) warns:

"There have been reports of uterine rupture following Cytotec use for cervical ripening in patients with prior uterine surgery. Thus, until reassuring studies are available, Cytotecl is not recommended for cervical ripening in patients who have had prior cesarean delivery or major uterine surgery"

Thai news on the arrest: on Thairath, October 15, 2010 edition



Thursday, October 14, 2010

How Young is too young to be a mother?

It was after I taped "Kontroversy" that I heard this sad news. The news about a 17-year-old girl from a prestigious school that tried to perform self-abortion with pills she bought off internet at her boyfriend apartment. The girl had been 8mon pregnant. Initial reports said she was bleeding and almost unconscious when the medic found her.

That was just to confirm what I think we have to really tackling it more seriously, Sex-education.

Thairath newspaper of October 12th, 2010 just publishes a small news article about "Stop Teen Mom" seminar hosted by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security
and the office of National Child Protection Commission. No, I am not talking about the seminar, but I am talking about the findings, the statistic the department of Social welfare provide that gathered by Information & Communication Technology Center.

Do you know That Thailand has the highest Teen Pregnancy(younger than 20 year-old) rate in Asia?

WHO(World Health Organization) published the statistic of Teen pregnancy average around the world in 2009 is 65 per 1000, while average in Asia countries in 2009 is 56 per 1000. Back in 2009, Thai number was at 70 per 1000 which was already higher than world average. And the actual number is 787,739 under 20 pregnancy mom that gave birth in the year 2009.

As of year 2010, the rate goes up to 90-100 per 1000, and it's still on the up trend. Is it time to take this issue seriously? Have we, as an adult in the country done enough to curb the number? Is his upward trend tell you anything about Thai education and social responsibility? Is it the time to start talking about Sex education in school seriously?

How Young is too Young for Sex Education?

Deputy director of the office of National Child protection Commission, Kwanwong Pikultong
(ขวัญวงศ์ พิกุลทอง) said it should start at the family, which is the most important part of child's life. And based on Study in western world, it should start as early as 2-5 year old. Now you might have initial reaction like me, WTF...yes... because that's all Thairath published, no further explanation. So I did a little research...internet these days.


I did a little research and here's what I got


From Avert, which is an international HIV and AIDS charity, based in the UK:
Sex education that works starts early, before young people reach puberty and before they have developed established patterns of behavior. However, in a review of 48 studies of comprehensive sex and STD/HIV education programmes in US schools, there was found to be strong evidence that such programmes did not increase sexual activity. Some of them reduced sexual activity, or increased rates of condom use or other contraceptives, or both. It is important to remember that young people can store up information provided at any time, for a time when they need it later on.


From The Guardian:
Brook and the Family Planning Association (FPA), the charities want to see four-year-olds start to get a grounding in the basics - like learning about the names of body parts and different types of relationships - so they feel more able to tackle the more complex aspects as they get older. But The US, where the programme comes from, has the highest teen pregnancy rates in the developed world - a third of babies born are to mothers aged 20 or less - and a frighteningly high proportion of teenagers (one in four) have sexually transmitted infections....Scary, huh?

From BBC report:
Northern Ireland has just this year made Relationships and Sexuality Education compulsory for school children from the age of five, the basics of human reproduction as part of their science lessons.
Freethorpe Primary School in Norfolk(UK) has been teaching Sex and Relationship Education since 2005. Year 2 students who are six and seven years old learn about the difference between male and females. They use laminated cards with the names of body parts including, shoulder, kidneys, vagina, penis, and arms, to learn which parts belong to both sexes or just males or females.







I don't know how young is too young to be a mother. I am not sure how early a child should be taught about sex-education. But I know one thing, THIS COUNTRY NEED TO DO SOMETHING NOW.


October 14th 1973 Uprising Remembered

News Article from TAN network... translated by KONG


The October 14th, 1973 Civil Uprising stemmed from the public disgruntlement against then the junta of Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn (ถนอม กิตติขจร), Field Marshal Prapas Jarusathien (ประภาส จารุเสถียร) and Colonel Narong Kittikachorn (นรงค์ กิตติขจร), who was Thanom's son and Prapas's son-in-law.


The junta was in power for nearly a decade, The charter of 1968 which took almost ten years to draft was dumped only after three years since it was promulgated when Thanom seized power in the military coup on November 17th, 1971.


The use of a military helicopter for a personal hunting trip along with widespread corruption then prompted the Thai people, especially a large number of young university students, to start a movement.


The pro-democracy students were shunned by their own education institutions and constantly harassed by the government. This led to the arrests of 13 students for distributing leaflets criticizing in the junta. The public were strongly demanding for the release of the students, who were also falsely accused of being communist sympathizers.


A small protest then expanded into a mass demonstration to demand a new constitution and a general election. However, the military government refused to give in.


On October 13th, 1973, hundreds of thousands of students and citizens started marching from Thammasat University along Rajdamnoen Avenue in what is known to be largest political gathering in the history of Thailand.


The powerful move forced the junta to release the students. It also pledged that the charter would be drafted and the general election will soon be held.
In the morning of October 14, police opened fire on the demonstrators who were about to end the gathering, angering the protesters and triggering a full-blown riot. The martial law was announced, followed by troop deployment. Live rounds were fired on the people, killing many.


Eventually, the King made a speech, asking all sides to cease violence and appointing Sanya Dharmasakti(สัญญา ธรรมศักดิ์) as the prime minister. At the same time, Thanom, Prapas and Narong agreed to leave the country on self-imposed exile.


The newly-appointed premier promised a new constitution and an election. The violence then subsided and the demonstrators dispersed soon afterwards.


The October 14th, 1973 uprising was a turning point that liberated the Thai society from the military dictatorship and it will never be forgotten by the democratic-minded citizens.