For instance, condoms were illegal in Myanmar until 1992. In some countries, a woman carrying one would be considered a prostitute by many members of her community, including the police. Effective youth education programmes need to equip young people with the skills and knowledge to effectively negotiate their sexual behaviour. Such programmes must start out by listening to the students, finding out about the reality of their sexual lives, and helping them to deal with these situations. Partner selection in countries such as Thailand is now often left to the young themselves.
Advertisements show a life in which an acknowledgment of sexuality is the social norm.
Still, many traditional attitudes towards sexuality prevail and some have a particularly high cost. Because female virginity is highly prized in some countries, it is considered acceptable for young men to visit prostitutes. The sex trade has been a major cause of the spread of Aids in the region. In Thailand, there are now more men infected with HIV than women, but the ratio is expected to be even by 2005. In Cambodia, that figure is over 60 per cent in some areas.