Experts support condom campaign despite opposition<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Some experts have voiced support for the
\ncampaign to use condom in limited areas even though Moslem
\nscholars have condemned the program.<\/p>\n
Marcel Latuihamallo, a manager of the Mitra Indonesia
\nFoundation's telephone counseling hotline for AIDS, and Dr.
\nKartono Mohamad, vice chairman of the AIDS Foundation, have told
\nThe Jakarta Post that they supported the use of condom campaign
\nin red light districts as an effort to combat the spread of AIDS.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) have repeatedly
\ncondemned the campaign.<\/p>\n
Its statement was based on the belief that by distributing
\ncondoms the distributors are pushing the people to increase their
\nextramarital sexual activities.<\/p>\n
Latuihamallo said in a telephone conversation with the Post
\nrecently that the proper use of condoms had proved to be
\neffective to prevent venereal disease and HIV.<\/p>\n
His foundation has distributed condoms in red light districts
\nand given information to the visitors about the proper use of
\ncontraceptive device, he said.<\/p>\n
According to Latuihamallo, providing condoms in hotels are not
\nvery effective because not all guests want to sleep with
\nprostitutes there.<\/p>\n
\"If the hotel wants to provide condoms, it has to sell them at
\nits drug store,\" he added.<\/p>\n
\"The case is different if the hotel is usually used by
\nprostitutes,\" Latuihamallo said.<\/p>\n
Kartono Mohamad said that he supported the program.<\/p>\n
\"A campaign for condom using in prostitution areas will work,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
\"The situation would be more dangerous if prostitutes' clients
\nrefused to use condom,\" he added.<\/p>\n
He told the Post that a research had shown the effectivity of
\ncondom using in the effort to prevent the spread of AIDS. \"It is
\n95 percent effective,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Kartono said that statements on morality is not relevant in
\nthis case. \"We should not talk about morality for men who
\nfrequent brothels,\" he added.<\/p>\n
\"If men cannot control their hunger for what is called 'sex
\naway from home', they should provide themselves with condoms,\" he
\nalso said.<\/p>\n
The government has started a campaign to make families aware
\nof the danger of the incurable disease.<\/p>\n
At the monthly meeting to discuss HIV\/AIDS in March, the State
\nMinister of Population\/Chairman of the National Family Planning
\nBoard, Haryono Suyono, said that the board is not campaign safe
\nsex by condoms.<\/p>\n
He said that the board preferred to use positive campaign
\nnamely \"Love Your Family.\"<\/p>\n
The main target of the campaign is 40 million families who
\nhave risks to be infected by the disease.<\/p>\n
Haryono said recently that to prevent AIDS by the distributing
\ncondoms is not effective.<\/p>\n
He said to distribute condoms at red light districts is not an
\nappropriate answer to the spread of HIV\/AIDS.<\/p>\n
The HIV\/AIDS sufferers in Indonesia until last month was
\nregistered at 312, 10 of whom had died. Sixty of the 312 are
\nforeigners who have gone back to their countries. (05)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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