HIV<\/strong>, short for the human immunodeficiency virus<\/strong>, is a virus that attacks the body\u2019s immune system. Left untreated, HIV can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency disease)<\/strong>. Common symptoms include flu-like symptoms within two to four weeks of infection and can last for a few days to several weeks.<\/p>\n As the immune system weakens, the infected person becomes more susceptible to other life-threatening diseases or cancers.<\/p>\n The scary part is some people may not show any symptoms at all, so the only surefire way to know if you have HIV or not is to get tested<\/strong>. HIV can commonly spread through sex or shared needles and other drug injection equipment.<\/p>\n You can easily prevent HIV by using condoms every time you have sex and refraining from sharing drug injection equipment.<\/p>\n In light of the recent alarming surge in HIV infections in younger people in the Asia Pacific region, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV\/AIDS (UNAIDS)<\/a>\u2019 Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe regional director, Eamonn Murphy, various countries need to further invest in prevention and intervention methods.<\/p>\n Murphy added, new HIV diagnoses were mainly among younger people aged 15-24 years old, with 47% of total new infections surfacing within this group.<\/p>\n Thailand is not the only country in Asia Pacific experiencing an HIV infection in younger people, as the UNAIDS also noticed a second wave of HIV infections<\/strong> in young people<\/strong> in other countries <\/strong>within the region.<\/p>\n According to Murphy, as he told Bangkok Post<\/a> on the sidelines of the 25th International Aids Conference (AIDS 2024)<\/a> last month in Munich, Germany, most of the infection in the Philippines are in that age range and particularly with \u201cmen having sex with men and transgender\u201d, there was a \u201c500% increase<\/strong> in HIV infections in the Philippines since 2010<\/strong>\u201d.<\/p>\n Other countries experiencing a surge in HIV infections in younger people beyond the Phillippines<\/strong> include Myanmar<\/strong>, Indonesia<\/strong>, as well as Cambodia<\/strong>, all of which saw half of their new HIV infections affecting the younger population, which led the UNAIDS to label this as a \u201cphenomenon that\u2019s happening across the region\u201d.<\/p>\n Murphy also strongly urged countries in the Asia Pacific region to promote and conduct large-scale campaigns akin to Vietnam\u2019s U=U <\/strong>campaign. The U=U campaign, which stands for \u201cUndetectable = Untransmittable<\/strong>\u201d, is an informational campaign about the effectiveness of HIV medications in preventing sexual transmission.<\/p>\n Hence its full \u201cUndetectable = Untransmittable\u201d name, if an HIV-infected person is on medications such as antiretroviral therapy (ART) with a consistently undetectable HIV viral load, the virus can\u2019t be transmitted to a sex partner. This prevention strategy is referred to as Treatment as Prevention (TasP)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Murphy stated that the campaign, designed to stop people from fearing HIV and those living with it, can change society\u2019s attitudes, helping people feel safer when visiting a clinic or undergoing testing for prevention.<\/p>\n Additionally, the Institute of HIV Research and Innovation (IHRI)<\/a>\u2019s executive director, Dr. Nittaya Phanupak, expressed interest in the Thai government supporting the campaign. She added by emphasizing communities and families of people with HIV should have equal rights in HIV prevention to everyone else.<\/p>\n Beyond Thailand, other countries within the Asia Pacific region such as the Philippines, Myanmar, and Cambodia, also saw an alarming surge in HIV infections in younger individuals aged 15-24. This not only led to the UNAIDS labeling it as a regional phenomenon, but also prompted other countries to further invest in prevention and intervention.<\/p>\n One of those prevention and intervention methods, which the UNAIDS\u2019 Eamonn Murphy strongly urged other countries to follow, is the U=U campaign, which is an informational campaign about the effectiveness of HIV medications in the prevention of sexual transmission. The program can change society\u2019s perception and help people feel more confident going to clinics for prevention.<\/p>\n Even though Thailand and the rest of the Asia Pacific region is struggling with the rising HIV infections in younger people, you can always craft yourself a safety net with a health insurance plan. Having the right health insurance plan will help alleviate financial stress and reduce medical costs in the event of unexpected illnesses or injuries.<\/p>\n While finding the right health insurance plan can prove daunting, particularly amidst the alarming surge of HIV infections, and with so many to choose from at different price ranges and coverage tiers, plan comparisons don\u2019t always have to be a nightmare and that\u2019s where we come in.<\/p>\n As an experienced international health insurance broker, Pacific Prime Thailand<\/a> has helped both local citizens and expats find a suitable health insurance plan<\/a>, such as travel<\/a>, international<\/a>, maternity<\/a> plans, and more, that ticks the boxes for both their budget range and specific healthcare needs.<\/p>\n Whether you’re an expat living in Thailand or a local Thai citizen yourself looking for adequate healthcare in the land of smiles, our team of specialists will be more than happy to help you out. If you have any further questions, get in touch with us<\/a> or get a free quote here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Asia Pacific region saw an alarming spike of HIV infections among young people aged 15-24 years old, with up to 47% of total new infections surfacing within this group. This sparked serious concerns and prompted various other countries to further invest in prevention and intervention methods. This Pacific Prime Thailand article will delve into …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":3593,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[199],"tags":[2946,433,434,674,2945,67],"class_list":["post-3588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-asia-pacific","tag-ban_gen","tag-cta_gen","tag-hiv","tag-infections","tag-thailand"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![](\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Blog-Banner_Thailand_3.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\nIntroduction to HIV<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Introduction-to-HIV.png\")
<\/p>\nOverview: Asia Pacific\u2019s HIV Spike in the Younger People<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Overview-Asia-Pacifics-HIV-Spike-in-the-Younger-People.png\")
<\/p>\nThe Second Wave of HIV<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/The-Second-Wave-of-HIV.png\")
<\/p>\nThe U=U Campaign<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/The-UU-Campaign.png\")
<\/p>\nConclusion<\/h2>\n
![\"Get](\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/PPTH_Gen_01.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n