To identify correlates of sexual behaviors among Thai young adults between 18 and 24 years, the authors used a cross-sectional survey of 405 young adults from eight randomly selected Thai urban and rural vocational schools. The young adults completed self-report questionnaires. Logistic regressions were used to determine the correlates between a Thai young adult's ever having had sexual intercourse and the correlates of the number of sexual partners and consistent condom use among those who were sexually active. The independent variables were age, gender, socioeconomic status, geographic residence, parental residence, parental-young adult communication, HIV knowledge, and negotiation for safer sex. The results showed that geographic residence and negotiation for safer sex were related to a young adult's ever having had sexual intercourse; gender, HIV knowledge, and negotiation for safer sex were related to the number of sexual partners; and geographic residence was related to condom use. HIV prevention programs should incorporate HIV knowledge and negotiation skills for both genders and for all geographical areas.

The proportion of Thai women infected with HIV is rising. More than 60% of the estimated 70,000 young adults from ages 15 to 24 years who are infected with HIV are females. Furthermore, the ratio of adolescent females aged 15 to 19 years who are infected with HIV is twice that of adolescent males in the same age group (Thai Ministry of Public Health, 2005). A cross-sectional descriptive study identified the specific behaviours and situations placing Thai adolescent females at risk from HIV as perceived by Thai adolescent females aged between 12 and 14 years from public middle schools in Bangkok, Thailand and their mothers. Data were obtained from a demographic questionnaire and four different focus groups (n=40); two focus groups with Thai adolescents (n=20) and two focus groups with their mothers (n=20). Content analysis suggested that the behaviours considered most likely to result in HIV infection of Thai adolescent females were having sex without protection and drug use, and the most likely situations placing them at HIV risk were pubs/bars and boyfriends' or friends' houses when there is no parental or adult supervision. The mothers and daughters reported that HIV/AIDS-prevention programmes should provide education about the causes and dangers of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS and prevention strategies. These data laid the foundation for the development of a culturally relevant HIV risk-reduction programme for Thai adolescent females.