ST , Aug 28, 2006
My steady boyfriend gave me HIV
Youths here are at risk as they assume that those in the same
social circles make 'safe' sex partners
By Tania Tan & Debbie Yong
ALICIA, 19, does not attend wild parties, drink or smoke.
She is not promiscuous and has been faithful to her boyfriend of
two years.
But she recently found out that she is HIV-positive.
Alicia is devastated and bitter that she contracted the virus
despite being a 'good' girl.
'I didn't do anything wrong. I had sex only with my boyfriend,'
said the shy junior college student.
She had no reason to suspect her boyfriend was infected with the
virus which causes Aids. A fellow student, he is clean-cut, sober
and studies hard.
'He got the virus before he met me,' said Alicia of her now
ex-boyfriend.
'He didn't know.'
She assumed that, because he looked safe and came from the same
social circle, he would be clean.
Several young Singaporeans that YouthInk spoke to feel the same
way.
National University of Singapore undergraduate Y.X. Lim, 23, said:
'I would assume that people in university are more conscious of the
consequences of their actions.'
She, too, has unprotected sex with her boyfriend of two
years.
Nanyang Technological University student J.L. Tan, 21, said: 'With
steady partners, sex is always unprotected. I assume that my
girlfriend cares about me enough to be honest about her sexual
history.'
But, as Alicia's example proves, it can be extremely dangerous to
take it for granted that one's partner is free of sexually
transmitted infections (STIs).
Alicia said: 'You don't have to sleep around to get infected...it
could happen in an 'exclusive' relationship, too.'
Her boyfriend had multiple partners before meeting her, often
engaging in casual sex.
Earlier this month, the Government revealed that there was a
three-fold increase in STI cases - including gonorrhoea, genital
herpes and warts - among youths aged 10 to 19 from 2002 to
2004.
And more than 40 Singaporeans aged 19 and younger were diagnosed as
HIV-positive by the end of last year.
A survey of 500 youths conducted in 2003/2004 by charity Action For
Aids (AFA) found that 25 per cent of them were sexually
active.
In 2002, the Ministry of Education introduced the Growing Years
Series, which addresses sexuality and targets students from the
upper primary to junior college levels.
In 2004, the Health Promotion Board introduced an STI/HIV
programme.
Both emphasise abstinence.
Mr Justin Ng, founder of the AFA's Youth Outreach Programme, said
that although sex education has been ramped up in recent years, the
focus is slightly off target.
The 'safe sex is no sex' message does not appear to be working as
more young people here are having sex.
The focus should rather be on convincing youth to understand the
risk of Aids and STIs, he said.
'Most people believe that if they run around within their usual
social circles, they're safe from infection.'
Mr Vanan Julian Pillay, programme executive for HIV Education and
Training, a group which works to increase Aids awareness, added:
'STIs, including Aids, are diseases which don't strike only a
certain group of people. They can affect anyone, whatever their
social, educational or economic standing.'
He said even couples who are in long-term relationships ought to
keep practising safe sex. If they want to do away with the
protection, they should both get tested regularly for STIs.
'Trust no one.'
Alicia, who is preparing for her A levels, made the easy mistake of
trusting her partner.
Now her doctor tells her that, with proper care, she should be able
to live the next five to 10 years with 'no major health
problems'.
She is 'taking life one day at a time'. 
