Academics, professors, researchers and the general public gathered along side non-governmental organizations and other interested parties on Monday to host the country’s first “Annual Conference on Sexuality Studies in Thai Society” at Bangkok’s Ratanakosin Hotel.

The conference was organized to educate people on sexual health issues in an attempt to reduce illness, the transmission of sexual disease and deaths as a result of having unprotected sex and simply not being aware of how to protect yourself against it.

Associate Professor Kritaya Archavanitkul from Mahidol University’s Institute for Population and Social Research, said that the conference, which ends today, was the first of its kind aimed at giving the public a new perspective. In the past, older people tended to view the younger generation’s sexual expressions as inappropriate and problematic.

Kritaya said the conference wanted society to view that young people were neither the cause of problems nor victims.

Throughout the world many countries have been increasingly more aware that sexual education is the only way to reduce the number of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned or unwanted pregnancies especially among the youth and gay sectors of society.

The researchers in particular were shocked by recent polls and findings regarding the overall level of awareness among young girls when it came to sex education and the transmission of devastating sexual diseases.

Society and schools in general need to encourage a more open attitude towards discussing the problem and effective ways to prevent unwanted pregnancy. This is not easy considering the stout religious attitude adopted by many parents and the powers that be.

Nevertheless, worldwide studies have proven that education is indeed the most powerful weapon governments have in reducing these kinds of unwanted social problems. The evidence is clear and comprehensive.