HIV\/AIDS cases among young people on the rise<\/p>\n
Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The number of young people with HIV\/AIDS has soared in the past
\nthree years due to increasing intravenous drug use (IDU),
\nactivists say.<\/p>\n
Joyce Djaelani Gordon, chairman of Kita Foundation, and Sri
\nWahyuningsih, coordinator of Pelita Ilmu Foundation, urge
\nschools, parents, and the government to help educate the youth in
\naddressing issues such as drug abuse and reproductive health in
\norder to prevent the country from losing its young generation to
\nthe epidemic.<\/p>\n
\"HIV has already infected those who are still young, creative,
\nand productive. I am afraid that in the next few years,
\nyoungsters will become a lost generation and only grandparents
\nand grandchildren will survive,\" Joyce told The Jakarta Post
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
Data issued by the Ministry of Health showed that the number
\nof people with HIV\/AIDS in June 2002 stood at 2,950, 52 percent
\nof which were young people between 20 and 29 years old.<\/p>\n
In 2001, the number of young people with HIV\/AIDS stood at
\n1,859, up from 709 in 2000 and 526 in 1999.<\/p>\n
University of Indonesia's Working Group (Pokdisus) on AIDS
\ntold the Post that 67 percent of the 128 people with HIV\/AIDS
\ncurrently undergoing treatment were between 20 and 30 years old.<\/p>\n
\"Young people are prone to HIV infection because they are not
\nexposed to sex education despite the fact that they are already
\nsexually active. Most of them are infected through needle and
\nsyringe sharing and through unsafe sex,\" said Joyce, who is also
\na psychologist.<\/p>\n
Joyce herself conducted a survey among 137 drug addicts aged
\nbetween 16 and 32 years old in September, of which 131 were IDUs.
\nAt least 81 of the IDUs said in the survey that they adopted
\nunsafe methods of injecting drugs.<\/p>\n
The survey also showed that 113 people, or 83 percent, had
\nsexual relationships in the past twelve months without much
\nknowledge about the risks involved.<\/p>\n
At least 76 people, or 56 percent, said that they received
\ninformation about sex from movies; while 75 people, or 55
\npercent, did not use any contraceptives during sexual
\nintercourse.<\/p>\n
\"Very few young people in Indonesia receive proper sex
\neducation,\" Joyce said.<\/p>\n
According to Joyce, only three percent of the 137 survey
\nparticipants received sex education from their parents, five
\npercent from schoolmates, 12 percent from books, and 19 percent
\nfrom friends. The survey also revealed that only 31 percent use
\ncondoms during sexual intercourse.<\/p>\n
Another survey conducted by Pelita Ilmu Foundation showed that
\na great number of young people were vulnerable to drug abuse and
\nfree sex. The survey was conducted in five big malls in Jakarta
\ninvolving 120 junior and senior high school students.<\/p>\n
Joyce said that a preventive campaign targeting elementary
\nschool students and pragmatic intervention -- such as
\ndistributing condoms -- to people above 12 years of age would be
\neffective in addressing the rise in cases of drug addiction and
\nHIV infection among youngsters.<\/p>\n
\"Pragmatic intervention programs are aimed at the public,
\nespecially to high risk groups, so they can attend counseling
\nsessions and be well-informed about reproductive health, the use
\nof condoms, safe needle and syringe use, and the HIV\/AIDS
\nepidemic,\" Joyce said.<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuningsih of Pelita Ilmu Foundation said that peer
\neducation could be the best way to address the problems, since
\nyoung people usually share their problems with their peers
\ninstead of their parents.<\/p>\n
She said that some 540 senior high school students in Jakarta
\nhad been trained and informed about HIV\/AIDS prevention,
\nreproductive health, and drug abuse.<\/p>\n
\"We believe that peer education can bring good changes in the
\nknowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behavior of youth who are in
\ntrouble,\" Sri said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hivaids-cases-among-young-people-on-the-rise-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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