Condoms don't fit RI culture

Condoms don't fit RI culture

BATAM, Riau: Indonesia would not promote the use of condoms to
prevent the spread of the killer Human Immunodeficiency Virus
(HIV) because they were unsuitable, said Minister of Health
Sujudi in an Antara report.

"The most suitable method for us is counseling, not condom
distribution," Sujudi told a meeting of the Indonesian Medical
Association in Batam, Riau, Tuesday.

But the government would distribute condoms in red light
districts, he said.

HIV causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS. HIV
attacks the immune system, preventing the body from fighting
infection.

Indonesia's family planning program attempts to control the
growth of population, more than 196 million, by promoting the
use of oral or implant contraceptives for married couples.

Condoms are widely available throughout Indonesia but are not
promoted by the government because religious leaders in the
mostly Moslem population believe promoting condoms would promote
promiscuity among young people.

Indonesia's latest official HIV/AIDS toll was 465, 110 were
cases of full-blown AIDS. So far, 60 people have died from AIDS
in Indonesia, Sujudi said.

Health workers say the real figures are likely to be much
higher as the official figures are derived only from reported
cases.

The World Health Organization has said as many as 50,000
people in Indonesia may be HIV infected, but the virus is only
evident when it develops into AIDS.

Last month, a study by a group at the University of Indonesia
said between 12,000 and 31,000 people died each year of AIDS.
(swe)