HIV cases

There is always a risk, when presenting reported cases of HIV infection, that they will be assumed to represent the reality (HIV and teenage pregnancies on the up, The Jakarta Post June 29, 2001). The plain fact is that we have no real idea of how many people are infected by HIV in Indonesia. What we do know is that the 332 new cases reported during the first five months of 2001 represent only the tip of the iceberg.

The Minister of Health was recently quoted as saying that there are 80,000 to 120,000 people with HIV/AIDS in Indonesia. This was apparently based on a consensus of experts earlier this year, which arrived at a figure of 102,500. But the experts agreed that this was little more than an inspired guess, since it was based on very limited information. What is clear is that the actual number greatly exceeds the 1,956 cases so far recorded.

Presenting such low figures to audiences, especially youngsters, may lead them to believe that the risk of infection is infinitesimally small. While we should certainly not resort to scare tactics by inflating the figures, we should nevertheless ensure that we always present a more accurate picture of the real dangers.

CHRIS W. GREEN

Jakarta