Thailand Medical Experts Raise Alarms as HIV Infections are Increasing Among the Young
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Feb 17, 2026 1 hour, 49 minutes ago
Thailand Medical:
Rising HIV infections among youth spark urgent concern
Thailand’s medical community is sounding the alarm after new national health data revealed a troubling increase in HIV infections among adolescents and young adults. According to figures released by the Disease Control Department under the Ministry of Public Health, a total of 13,357 new HIV cases were diagnosed nationwide in the past year, bringing the total number of people living with HIV in Thailand to 547,556.
Young people attend an HIV awareness campaign promoting prevention and safer sexual health practices in Thailand
Image: AI-Generated
Most concerning is the age distribution. Health authorities reported that 35 percent of all newly diagnosed infections occurred among individuals aged 15 to 24, highlighting a significant shift in the epidemic toward younger populations.
Thailand Medical experts say this trend threatens to reverse years of progress Thailand has made in controlling HIV transmission and reducing related deaths. This Medical News report highlights growing fears that younger generations may be underestimating their risk or lacking adequate access to prevention education.
Campaign launched to promote safer behavior
In response, Aids Healthcare Foundation Thailand recently launched its “Just Use It” campaign to promote condom use and safer sexual practices. The campaign was officially introduced at Yupparaj Wittayalai School in Chiang Mai ahead of International Condom Day, which is observed globally each February.
The campaign aims to educate young people about the importance of consistent condom use, HIV testing, and preventive tools such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Experts emphasize that condoms remain one of the most effective and affordable ways to prevent HIV, along with other sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis and gonorrhea. Officials noted that 96.4 percent of new HIV infections in Thailand were linked directly to unprotected sexual contact, demonstrating that prevention remains the most critical intervention.
Local data reveals growing burden in high-risk provinces
Chiang Mai remains one of the provinces with particularly concerning HIV trends. Health authorities recorded 731 new HIV cases in the province over the past year alone. Currently, 22,387 residents in Chiang Mai are living with HIV, and 21,576 of them are receiving antiretroviral therapy through Thailand’s public healthcare system.
Between October 2025 and January 2026, officials projected an additional 173 new HIV diagnoses in Chiang Mai, averaging around 44 new infections each month. Encouragingly, 160 of those newly diagnosed individuals have already started antiretroviral therapy, which can suppress the virus and prevent transmission if taken consistently.
However, health officials also reported rising cases of other sexually transmitted infections, particularly syphilis, which often serve
s as a warning indicator of unsafe sexual behaviors and increased HIV transmission risk.
Changing lifestyles and awareness gaps contribute to surge
Medical experts believe several factors are driving the rise in infections among young people. Increased use of dating apps, reduced perception of HIV as a life-threatening disease, and declining fear due to improved treatments may be contributing to riskier sexual behaviors. Many young individuals also delay HIV testing, allowing the virus to spread unknowingly.
The Aids Healthcare Foundation, headquartered in Los Angeles, has stressed the importance of expanding access to free HIV testing, condoms, and preventive medications. Thailand’s public health system already offers free HIV testing, self-testing kits, and PrEP through government hospitals and civil society partners, but awareness and utilization remain uneven.
Urgent need for sustained prevention education and testing
Medical professionals warn that unless prevention campaigns are intensified, the rise in HIV infections among young people could escalate further and create long term public health and economic consequences. Early diagnosis and treatment not only save lives but also reduce transmission risk to nearly zero. Experts stress that strengthening sexual education, increasing awareness of prevention tools, expanding youth friendly health services, and reducing stigma surrounding HIV testing are critical measures. Without immediate and sustained action, Thailand risks facing a new wave of infections among its younger population, undermining decades of progress and placing additional strain on healthcare systems and communities nationwide.
References:
https://ahfthailand.com/activity/detail?id=58
https://hivhub.ddc.moph.go.th/officer/Download/Strategy/EN_Nat_M_E_plan_for_HIV_2021-2025_edited_28112023_005_v2.pdf
https://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/countries/thailand
https://hivhub.ddc.moph.go.th/
For the latest on HIV in Thailand, keep on logging to
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Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/hiv-aids
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/thailand-medical
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