Specter of AIDS looming over Indonesia<\/p>\n
By David and Joyce Djaelani Gordon<\/p>\n
BOGOR, West Java (JP): All across the entire greater Jakarta
\narea the nightmare of addiction has fully awakened. We are now
\nface to face with the haunting reality of addiction and addicts:
\nHIV\/AIDS and Hepatitis C.<\/p>\n
There is no escape, there is nowhere to run, there is nowhere
\nto hide. The nightmare is real, and the crisis of the addiction
\nnightmare is as horrifying as your imagination can perceive. The
\nepidemic of addiction and addicts and the pandemic of HIV\/AIDS
\nand Hepatitis stretches from Batam to Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
Promoting and emphasizing \"drug supply reduction strategies\"
\nhas not stopped addiction or these diseases from spreading into
\nand across our communities.<\/p>\n
The current estimation of people abusing drugs, and people who
\nare addicted to drugs is now rapidly approaching 2 million.<\/p>\n
Each and every day now at Yayasan Harapan Permata Hati Kita in
\nBogor, parents bring their children, boys and girls, into our
\nrecovery center. The fear, frustrations, tears and anger spill
\nforth from the hearts, minds and lips of each of these parents.
\nThe young addicts sit quietly, staring at the floor, or playing
\nwith their fingers, and hating to have been brought to this
\nplace. Yet these young addicts know their lives have been wrecked
\nby something: \"the drug addiction\" they can no longer control.<\/p>\n
Yayasan Kita has only been open since last July. We have
\naccepted 72 addicts and junkies into the Program for
\nDetoxification, Treatment, Recovery and Aftercare. Of these 72
\nyoung (the ages range between 16 and 42) male and female junkies,
\n53 (more than 73 percent) tested Hepatitis C positive (a virus
\nthat with time causes cirrhosis and cancer of the liver). Eight
\nhave tested positive for HIV\/AIDS. There is no cure for either
\nvirus. These viruses are highly contagious, and both are deadly.
\nThe numbers and percentage of this nightmare grows daily.<\/p>\n
These viruses are mostly spread by sharing needles and having
\nunprotected sex.<\/p>\n
IDUs (Intravenous Drug Users -- people who are injecting drugs
\nwith needles) are becoming more and more common. More than 60
\npercent of the putaw addicts are now estimated to be IDUs. Drug
\nabusers and addicts who use and share needles are the most
\nsusceptible to becoming infected with the HIV\/AIDS and Hepatitis
\nviruses. Drug users, abusers and addicts are now considered to be
\nin the ultra high risk group.<\/p>\n
We have had to look these young people in the eye and tell
\nthem: \"not only are you an addict, you also have Hepatitis C, or
\nyou have Hepatitis C and HIV\/AIDS.\" At first what you see in
\ntheir juvenile eyes is disbelief. All time stops and freezes,
\nthen fear comes, then the tragic horror and truth of the
\nnightmare sets in as they begin to realize that what we have just
\ntold them is: \"you have an incurable virus, and it is going to
\nkill you\".<\/p>\n
We have to tell these addicts that they need to stop using
\ndrugs, any drugs. Because continued use of drugs will aggravate
\ntheir conditions. Recent studies in the U.S. have found that
\ncocaine and shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) speed up the
\nreplication process of these viruses. Alcohol is toxic to people,
\nespecially addicts, who have any type of liver disease.<\/p>\n
We have to look the parents in the eye, exactly the same as we
\ndo with their children, and tell them the same thing: \"Your son
\nor daughter has Hepatitis C, or HIV\/AIDS.\" The parents
\nimmediately stare into empty space, lose their breath, and all
\nenergy drains from their bodies; they slump down, limp from the
\nwords, and the tears begin to flow.<\/p>\n
They ask us to repeat what we just said. They ask us to
\nexplain what we said, and explain what Hepatitis and HIV\/AIDS is,
\nand what each virus does.<\/p>\n
The reality of these moments lasts a lifetime. This diagnosis
\nis now becoming a daily occurrence at our center. Each time we
\nhave to tell someone they have Hepatitis or the HIV\/AIDS Virus is
\nheartbreaking for everyone. It never gets easier, only more
\ndifficult.<\/p>\n
Most Indonesians truly do not understand the severity of
\naddiction and addicts, or HIV\/AIDS and Hepatitis, as of yet. The
\nnumber of addicts is rapidly increasing, so are the reported
\ncases of HIV\/AIDS and Hepatitis. Statistics are only barely
\nbeginning to begin to record the number of people that have been
\ntested, and are found to be HIV positive, those that have died,
\nand are dying from AIDS.<\/p>\n
Indonesia really does not report the number of deaths caused
\nby drug overdoses (usually from Putaw\/heroin), even though many
\nyoung people are dying daily from overdoses.<\/p>\n
Much is being shared today about drugs, addiction and these
\nviruses in Indonesia. Still, hardly anyone truly understands what
\nto do with addicts. This is a large part of the reason addiction
\nis such a nightmare.<\/p>\n
Parents and the general public think that detoxification, or a
\nshort-term stay in some hospital or institution, or counseling in
\nsome drop-in center will cure their child of addiction. Parents
\nspend millions of rupiah on detoxification, then spend millions
\nmore on medication.<\/p>\n
Parents do this over and over again, hoping in vain something,
\nanything, will cure their children from this nightmare. Yet it
\ndoes not work because addiction is not simply a physical
\ncondition. It is a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual
\ncondition. And because basic detoxification does not stop or cure
\nthe addiction, the nightmare continues and becomes worse.<\/p>\n
Residential treatment programs, community-based self-help
\nprograms and the 12-step program of Narcotics Anonymous are the
\nbest ways to combat addiction today. HIV\/AIDS and Hepatitis must
\nbe dealt with in the same way, because those involved at the core
\nhave the best, most current knowledge and information available
\nfor addicts, infected addicts and their families.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has run out of time for both hope and guess-work.
\nThis is the time for combined and community action. Anything
\nelse, other than action only helps the nightmare to spread.<\/p>\n
- The writers are program directors at the Yayasan Harapan
\nPermata Hati Kita Recovery Center in Bogor, West Java.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/specter-of-aids-looming-over-indonesia-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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