A workshop was held in Pattaya where about 300 health workers, city officials and community organizations were taught ways they can work with youths to curb unwanted teenage pregnancy.
Dr. Nattaporn Wongsutipakorn, deputy director of the Health Department, hosted the Aug. 9 seminar at the Le Bali Resort & Spa.
He opened the meeting with statistics on teenage pregnancy and the societal factors fueling the crisis.
Guest speakers from the Women’s Health Advocacy Foundation in Nonthaburi shed light on methods of how to prevent young boys and girls from engaging in sexual activities.
Pattaya is labelled as one of the top cities with unwanted teen pregnancies and the experts assembled suggested that youths need to be refocused on other activities, such as sports.
They also spoke about how getting pregnant at an early age can adversely affect young people’s lives and lead to many lost opportunities. Abortion, illegal in Thailand, also was touched on.
The hope was the seminar would create the correct understanding about women’s health rights, introduce appropriate sexual and reproductive health education, promote health to women, and disseminate research and knowledge about sexual and reproductive health.
