Effectiveness of counseling, HIV tests to be studied
Effectiveness of counseling, HIV tests to be studied
JAKARTA (JP): A two-year research program will start next
month to study the effectiveness of counseling and HIV-tests in
changing people's behavior to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Head of the research project, Suriadi Gunawan, told reporters
at a press conference yesterday that 1600 people in the Jakarta
area, including married couples, are expected to participate.
"We will keep the participants' identities secret and we won't
report the identities of anyone if we discover they are HIV-
positive," said Suriadi, who is also head of Research and
Development at the Ministry of Health.
He urged people who participate in HIV/AIDS high-risk
behavior, whether or not affected by the Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), to join the research.
He explained that the research is expected to prove the
effectiveness of counseling even though it costs more than other
methods to stop the disease spreading.
"It's true that counseling needs more time because you have to
deal with one participant at a time, it also costs a lot more.
But the result is expected to be more effective because the
counselor and the participants can find the solution to the
problem together," said Suriadi, who was accompanied by Firman
Lubis of the Kusuma Buana Foundation.
He explained that the participants in the research will be
divided into two groups, and they will receive different
treatment.
"The first group will get counseling and HIV-tests while the
second group will receive information about AIDS and get HIV-
tests and counseling after six months," Suriadi said.
After the six-month period all the participants in the
research will have a venereal medication check-up and treatment,
if necessary, he said.
However, the results of the research can not be determined in
less than six months because the counselor and the participants
still have to hold many counseling sessions, he said.
Suriadi said that counseling is the most important strategy to
prevent the spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV) which can
lead to the AIDS.
"Counseling is important for people indulging in HIV/AIDS
high-risk behavior, for people that need HIV-tests and for HIV-
positive people," he pointed out.
The most important purpose of counseling is to help people
participating in HIV/AIDS high-risk behavior change their life
styles and attitudes in order to reduce the possibility of being
affected by HIV, he said.
After the research, it is hoped that the participants who are
not affected by HIV will be willing to change their high-risk
behavior.
He said that the research project, which will cost Rp 400
million (US$173,913), is financed by the World Health
Organization (WHO).
In Indonesia, Suriadi said, the research will be conducted by
the Ministry of Health, the Kusuma Buana Foundation, the Mitra
Indonesia Foundation and a group studying AIDS at the University
of Indonesia School of Medicine/the Cipto Mangunkusumo Public
Hospital(Pokdiksus AIDS FKUI/RSCM)).
Besides Indonesia, WHO is also conducting the same research on
AIDS in Kenya, Tanzania and Trinidad.
He said with the counseling everyone will obtain accurate
information on how to avoid AIDS, while those already infected by
the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or those with full-blown
AIDS have the right to proper medical care and nondiscriminatory
treatment.
Suriadi said that people who are interested in joining the
research can come to Pokdiksus AIDS FKUI/RSCM from Monday to
Thursday or dial 3905250, Kusuma Buana Foundation from Monday to
Thursday or call 493102 and to Mitra Indonesia Foundation on
Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday or call 3100855.
As of last month, the official number of HIV-positive and AIDS
cases in Indonesia was 364, with 125 cases recorded in Jakarta.
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