Condoms: Not just in brothels<\/p>\n
Christopher Purdy, Jakarta<\/p>\n
At night, the Klakahrejo brothel in Surabaya is alive with music,
\nlights and the sound of men parking their motorcycles. Not long
\nago, I walked down the narrow alley that leads to the twenty or
\nso houses which make up the Klakahrejo complex. As usual, there
\nwere a few stares, then giggles, followed by invitations.
\nHowever, I was there with the brothel boss-man, who led me past
\nthe luring calls, beyond the small shops selling antibiotics,
\nbirth-control pills and condoms, and into one of the larger
\nhouses.<\/p>\n
Sitting on the long sofa were some fifteen young ladies,
\nlooking mostly bored. The sight of me raised no apparent
\nexcitement -- even when one attractive woman was asked to join me
\nin one of the many bedrooms in the back. The bedroom was similar
\nto the hundreds of such rooms I have seen -- small with a single
\nbed with pink sheets and pillows pushed against the wall, a
\ndresser filled with clothes and magazines, and a few small
\nposters of movie stars on the walls.<\/p>\n
We made small talk for a while. Then I asked her my most
\nimportant question: \"Do you have a condom?\"<\/p>\n
Unlike most women her age, she didn't hesitate, blush, or
\nlaugh. She reached down to her dresser drawer and pulled out a
\nbox of 12 condoms. These condoms, she indicated, were made
\navailable to each and every client. Still, not all her clients
\nagreed to use a condom, forcing her to choose between unsafe sex
\nand no work. However, having condoms in the room made the
\npossibility of condom use that much more likely.<\/p>\n
Selling condoms may seem a tricky business. Mention condoms in
\nIndonesia and you can be certain to elicit laughter or a frown,
\nor both. However, there are only a few people who question condom
\neffectiveness and few concerns that the average Indonesia can't
\naccess or afford condoms. It is also remarkably easy to market,
\nadvertise and otherwise talk about condoms in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, it seems, with all it traditional culture and
\nconservative elements, has been able to absorb and accept condoms
\nas part of the family planning and public health reality.<\/p>\n
Much remains to be done, however, to increase condom use. In a
\nrecent survey among youth in four Indonesian cities, only 33
\npercent reported using condoms the first time they had sex. At
\nmassage parlors and other \"hotspots\" around the country, police
\nuse the presence of condoms as the proof of illegal activities.
\nAnd, despite high levels of awareness and understanding about
\nHIV\/AIDS, the vast majority of Indonesians do not harbor a sense
\nof personal risk that they could be infected -- even among those
\nwho continue to engage in high-risk behaviors.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is facing a growing number of HIV infections and
\nhigh rates of unwanted pregnancies -- especially among young
\npeople. To overcome these problems, condom availability and
\neducation are needed. But we should not be misled into thinking
\nthat only brothels like Klakahrejo require such interventions;
\nprevention begins with each of us. Everyone should play a role.<\/p>\n
Talk with your children. Talk with your neighbors. Make sure
\nemployees know about HIV\/AIDS and have access to condoms. Only
\nthrough a concerted and combined effort can Indonesia hope to
\nsolve these broad and looming problems.<\/p>\n
The writer is the Country Director for DKT Indonesia, a social
\nmarketing enterprise focused on HIV prevention and family
\nplanning. He can be reached at cpurdy@rad.net.id.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/condoms-not-just-in-brothels-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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