Planned sexual behaviour of young Australian visitors to Thailand

Abstract

Objective To research the knowledge of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases among young Australian tourists to Thailand, and their intended sexual behaviour Design and setting: A cross‐sectional survey by anonymous, self‐administered questionnaire, of persons seeking pre‐travel medical advice in private clinics in five Australian cities. Participants: 213 consecutive patients travelling to Thailand without a spouse or partner. Results: Only 34% of the sample reported a definite intention not to have sex in Thailand. Regarding choice of potential partners: 24.5% more men than women said they would have sex with a Thai national; 13.7% of men said they would have sex with a “bar girl”; and 21.7% more women than men said they would choose a fellow Australian traveller. Eighty‐two per cent of the sample reported that they would use condoms 100% of the time, and there was no significant difference between the number of men and women who expressed this intention. Conclusions: Although not obviously “sex tourists”, many young Australian travellers are likely to have sex while visiting Thailand. These data have important implications for education and prevention programs to control the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Sexually Transmitted Infections in Travelers: Implications for Prevention and Control

“…In London, 19% of 757 outpatient respondents had у1 new sexual partner while abroad, and 64% never used condoms or used them inconsistently [3]. Higher frequencies of sexual relationships with new partners during travel were also reported for European expatriates in Africa [13], American Peace Corps volunteers [14], and young travelers in Australia [5].…”

“…At the individual level, predictors of STD risk in travelers include (1) pattern of travel (alone, or with friends, colleagues, or family; place; and duration of stay) [3]; (2) reasons for travel [5]; (3) availability, accessibility, and affordability of sexual services at the travel destination [26]; (4) social norms at the travel destination [5]; (5) alcohol and illicit drug availability [25]; (6) sexual activity (orientation and commercial basis) [6,26]; (7) sex partners (locals, prostitutes, or fellow travelers) [6]; (8) inconsistent condom use [6,18]; and (9) male circumcision status [7]. Limited STD knowledge, low perceived risk, low level of religiosity, and negative attitude toward safe sex practices or condom use are associated with having sex while abroad and with STD infection [26].…”

“…Although it is debatable, there is evidence that increased population mobility makes travel a major risk marker for STD and HIV transmission [3,4]. Travelers-defined as people journeying temporarily, permanently, or episodically for recreational or occupational reasons or as forced or voluntary migrants-are key vectors for spreading virulent and resistant strains associated with STI to unaffected regions and for causing the reemergence of these pathogens elsewhere [5,6]. In this article, we review the epidemiology, management, and prevention of travel-associated STD and STI transmission.…”

The underestimated risk of hepatitis A and hepatitis B: benefits of an accelerated vaccination schedule

“…16 Although international travel per se has not been cited as a suspected risk factor in the acquisition of HBV, the results of several surveys suggest that travelers often engage in highrisk behaviors when visiting endemic areas, such as recreational drug taking or casual, unprotected sex with locals. [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Frequently, these individuals are not adequately immunized before departure. 17,19,20,25 Other potential sources of HBV infection include cosmetic procedures such as tattooing or body piercing, which are not uncommon among visitors to destinations where HAV and HBV are endemic.…”

Travel and public health

“…Reported rates of casual sexual experiences during travel vary from 5% to 51% [31]. In an Australian study only 34% of male travellers to Thailand stated not intending to have sex [32]. Men and women do not differ in their willingness to get to know new partners, but in their behaviour.…”