Punished in Life, Death
The Indian Express - West Bengal, India, 2/27/2011
In life, Swapna Mondal, 23, and Sucheta Mondal, 19, were tried by village courts and forbidden to meet. In death, they have been shunned by their community, their village refusing to perform their last rites and letting their bodies lie unclaimed in the morgue after they committed suicide. At a time when the country is debating the acceptability of same-sex relationships, there have been signs of tolerance from Sonachura village in West Bengal’s Nandigram block, too. But those willing to recognise the relationship between cousins Swapna Mondal, 23, and Sucheta Mondal, 19 — among them is Swapna’s mother—- are greatly outnumbered by those who will not.
A Healthy Discussion
The Indian Express - Lucknow, India, 2/27/2011
In Badgaon village in Siddharthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, a group of teenagers is deep in discussion. The topic of conversation is early marriage and the right age for pregnancy. These were issues that were once taboo in the region but ever since the Youth and Community Information Centre (YCIC) was set up in Badgaon in 2007, youngsters are increasingly asking questions on health and sexuality—and are getting the right answers.
How to Prevent Genital, Cervical Cancer
Manila Bulletin - Manila, Philippines, 2/27/2011
The reproductive health bill has caused major uproar from many citizens in the country, especially those who believe that it goes against religion. However, doctors explain the risks of having unsafe sex. Aside from the unplanned pregnancy which has been one of the major factors that continue to contribute to the ballooning population of the country, unsafe sex also makes people vulnerable to many sexually transmitted diseases. Most people know about acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) which begins with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but only few are familiar with another equally grave virus known as human papilloma virus (HPV) which can cause cervical and genital cancer.
Homosexuals Protest Against Telugu Channel
Daily News and Analysis - Hyderabad, India, 2/26/2011
Members of the homosexual, bisexual, and transgender community today staged a peaceful demonstration in front of a local Telugu TV channel office here seeking an apology for telecasting a `sting operation` on homosexuals which, they said, contained defamatory comments. According to the representation, the programme (a sting operation by the TV channel) contained several defamatory comments targeting the homosexual community and hunted down profiles of homosexual individuals from the internet.
Adolescent Indian Girls Most Vulnerable
The Times of India, India, 2/26/2011
With the highest adolescent population in India, the real challenge for the nation is to provide nutrition, health and education in this segment, especially for girls, according to a UNICEF report. The report titled ``Adolescence: Age of Opportunities`` was released on Friday. The report`s focus was on the health, nutrition, and educational conditions of adolescents in India. Karin Hulshof, UNICEF India Representative, said: ‘ The available data shows that maximum adolescence today, do not get to enjoy or have access to quality education, basic sexual reproductive health care, support for mental health issue and disability and protection from violence, abuse and exploitation and a forum for their participation.’
Transgenders Offered Free Sex Changes
Bangkok Post, Thailand, 2/25/2011
A transgender association is offering a free sex change for cash-strapped transgender people to fulfill their dream of becoming a woman. More than 100 transgender people have applied for free sex-change surgery under the Sister`s Hand project initiated by the TransFemale Association of Thailand. But only five will be chosen to undergo operations. With sponsorship from several private companies, the project provides assistance to transgender people who do not have enough money for sex-change surgery, which costs more than 100,000 baht.
Thai Police Free Women From Illegal Baby Farm
The Striates Times - Bangkok, Thailand, 2/24/2011
Thirteen Vietnamese women, seven of them pregnant, have been rescued from an `illegal and inhuman` surrogate baby breeding ring in Thailand, officials said on Thursday. Police said the company, called Baby 101, received orders by email or via agents from childless couples and in some instances the male partner would provide sperm to inseminate the women. `This is illegal and inhuman. In some cases it looks like they were raped,` said Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit, who added that those carrying children would be cared for in a private hospital.
HIV Up Among Phuket Ladyboys
Phuket Gazette - Phuket, Thailand, 2/24/2011
Increasing sexual activity among the youngest members of Phuket’s transgender community is leading to a worrying rise in HIV infection rates, public health officials say. Dr Sak Tanchaikul, chief of Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO), said he was deeply concerned about HIV infection rates among ‘men who have sex with men’, which his agency members refer to collectively as ‘MSM’. Already over 9 per cent of people who fall into the MSM category in Phuket have contracted the HIV virus that causes AIDS, he said. Phuket has a large population of transgender people from all over Thailand. Many move here to work in the nightlife industry.
A Pink Marriage on Paperback
The Times of India - Bhubaneswar, India, 2/22/2011
The LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) revolution is no longer restricted to metros like Delhi or Mumbai. It is touching all nooks and corners of the country. Asamajik`, an Oriya novel on the subject of homosexuality, which is among the very first and few Oriya novels to talk about same-sex relationships, was released at the Bhubaneswar Book Fair on Friday. While talking about homosexuality, Sahoo, an Orissa Sahitya Academy Award-winner, said, ‘Western feminists talk primarily about sexual attraction between the same sex couple. But there is much more in a homosexual relationship than just that.’
Chong: China Girls Are Syndicate Victims
The Star - Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, 2/21/2011
There have been many cases of young women from China ending up in the sex trade here after they are duped by syndicates to travel overseas for jobs. ‘They were usually told they would work as factory workers, maids or masseuses. Upon arrival, they are forced into vice,’ said MCA Public Services and Complaints Department chief Datuk Michael Chong.
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