THAILAND: FAMILY PLANNERS INVADE BANGKOK'S RED-LIGHT DISTRICT OFFERING FREE VASECTOMY OPERATIONS.
Record ID:
565812
THAILAND: FAMILY PLANNERS INVADE BANGKOK'S RED-LIGHT DISTRICT OFFERING FREE VASECTOMY OPERATIONS.
- Title: THAILAND: FAMILY PLANNERS INVADE BANGKOK'S RED-LIGHT DISTRICT OFFERING FREE VASECTOMY OPERATIONS.
- Date: 5th October 1986
- Summary: 1. SVs People buying family planning goods and playing darts to win condoms. (4 SHOTS) 0.19 2. GV Sign saying "Free Condoms for the first 100", GV sign saying "Free Vasectomy Here". (2 SHOTS) 0.25 3. GVs Stall loaded with condoms, man holding inflated condoms. (2 SHOTS) 0.35 4. CUs T-shirts saying "A condom a day keeps pregnancy away" and "I am safe now". (2 SHOTS) 0.42 5. SV Doctor performing vasectomy on man. 0.51 6. SV PULL BACK TO GV Man holding T-shirt showing condoms, other look on. 1.03 InitialsASG/JS Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 20th October 1986 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BANGKOK, THAILAND
- Country: Thailand
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA6O0KMZ8HKPLNF4832TYKYWTQ6
- Story Text: BANGKOK, THAILAND
Thailand's family planners moved into Bangkok's Patpong red-light district on October 2, bringing with them a host of family planning goods and the offer of free vasectomy operations. There were inflated condoms, virility tonics and T-shirts bearing pertinent slogans to divert attention from the bar girls, but only five men took up the free offer of a quick vasectomy, for which Thailand's birth control campaigners have become famous. Several hundred passers-by momentarily forgot Patpong's other attractions to play darts and computer games for prizes ranging from packets of condoms to birth control pills. A carnival-style stand, decorated with inflated condoms, sold T-shirts with slogans such as "A condom a day keeps pregnancy away". Parked under the neon lights of Patpong's bars and clubs were two vans equipped for doctor to carry out seven-minute vasectomy operations. The man who launched Thailand's flamboyant birth control campaign, Mechai Viravaidya, was among the visitors to the publicity drive. A week earlier, doctors from Mechai's association had performed 36 free vasectomies at a "Dragon Vasectomy Festival" to mark China's national day. Patients were served free Chinese dumplings after the operations. Thailand's annual birth rate has dropped from 3.3 percent to 1.5 percent since Mechai began his campaign over a decade ago. Since then, the former economist's name has become a Thai slang word for condom.
<strong>Source: REUTERS - DAVID MCKAIGE</strong> - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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