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)