HIV and AIDS: Understanding, Treatment, and Prevention on World AIDS Day
The World Health Organization has designated December 1st each year as World AIDS Day to raise awareness of HIV prevention and to promote acceptance…
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Contents
The World Health Organization has designated December 1st of every year as World AIDS Day, a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of AIDS prevention and to promote acceptance and understanding of people living with HIV worldwide. This year's campaign theme is:
"Let Communities Lead" — every sector working together to end AIDS
The theme emphasizes participation from every sector in supporting communities, organizations, and groups — especially young people, who play an important role in raising awareness of prevention and are a key force in driving efforts forward. This work aims to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.
- Thailand has approximately 500,000 people who know their HIV status.
- Approximately 457,000 (90%) are receiving antiretroviral therapy.
- Approximately 445,000 (97%) have achieved viral load suppression.
- AIDS-related deaths: 10,972 people.
An estimated 9,230 new HIV infections are expected, of which 4,379 are among people aged 15–24 years, or 47.44% of the total. Nearly half of these are young people. The Ministry of Public Health, together with its network partners, supports all priority groups in accessing comprehensive prevention, screening, and care services through the following key activities.
Carry them with you: use a condom every time, with every partner, for every type of sex
Make carrying and using condoms a normal part of life, because using condoms is an act of responsibility toward yourself, your partner, and society. Condoms are available free of charge at government health service units and civil-society health service units nationwide. They can also be obtained through the "Health Wallet" menu in the Pao Tang app, and are available at hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies that participate as service units in the National Health Security Office (NHSO) system.
HIV testing is a normal thing to do
Having sex without a condom even once can put you at risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It is therefore a good idea to test for HIV so you know your own status. Testing is recommended about one month after any risky behavior. Young people under 18 years of age can receive counseling and HIV testing without needing parental consent.
Dr. Taweechai Wisanuyothin said that, for self-protection, people living with HIV are advised to take their antiretroviral therapy continuously, not to stop the medication on their own, and not to be misled by advertisements claiming that dietary supplements can cure HIV, since there is no medical evidence to support such claims. Anyone who has tested positive for HIV but has not yet started antiretroviral therapy should seek treatment immediately. Treatment is free under all health coverage schemes. The goal is to keep the CD4 cell count above 200 cells per cubic millimeter.
This level is enough to help prevent illness from opportunistic infections. You should also use a condom every time you have sex, with every partner and for every type of sex, to prevent HIV, STIs, and hepatitis B and C. In addition, avoid close skin-to-skin contact with anyone who has a rash, bumps, or pus, and do not share personal items with others.
With thanks for the information: Department of Disease Control
Verified references
Links and relevance to the article’s main topic were reviewed on 13 August 2026. Each source supports only the scope stated in the original document and does not replace personalised medical, legal, or service advice.
- WHO: HIV and AIDS fact sheet Accessed 13 August 2026
