Health clinic for prostitutes

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Alarmed by a recent health official's report that six prostitutes in the province were discovered to be HIV-positive, a brothel owner promised he would soon build a health clinic for his 100 prostitutes.

Budiyanto, 48, said he also wished to hire two experts on venereal diseases to work in the clinic. "I don't think antibiotic shots, which my girls used to get regularly, would be enough," he said.

Darmadi, another brothel owner, complained that most men who frequented the red-light district are usually reluctant to use condoms.

Two prostitutes said that they were horrified when they heard about the six infected women. Besides, "We only visit the doctor three times a year," one of the women said.

Dr. Fen Olof Manik revealed last week that six of the 500 prostitutes working in West Timor regency have been infected by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Official data shows that there are 35 brothels in the province, with most prostitutes coming from East Java.

May's official statics say that 390 people are infected with HIV and full-blown Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Of the 95 AIDS victims recorded, 59 have died. The other 295 listed are HIV-positive.

Jakarta has the most infected people with 137 HIV and AIDS carriers. Irian Jaya is second, with 102. Bali and East Java each have 33 and Riau has 29. (yac/swe)