HIV patients still fear discrimination

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Rohana of Bukit Duri, South Jakarta, is still grieving for her nephew, who spent the last three months of his life in hospital.

"He was never told what was making him so ill, as other family members were reluctant to say," she said on Tuesday.

Rohana said her nephew died of kidney failure, but the doctor finally declared he had developed AIDS. "It must have been because of his past sex life," she said.

If a person with HIV/AIDS does not want to talk about how they were infected, for whatever reason, society may be quick to make assumptions about their past behavior. This is one reason why many people are reluctant to undergo a blood test, even if they suspect that they are HIV positive.

"Only 5 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS in Jakarta are recorded by the City Health Agency. Most of them refuse to have their blood tested," agency head Abdul Chalik Masulili said.

The agency is not at liberty to force individuals to take a blood test, which would be a human rights violation.

"Many people with the virus are reluctant to go to hospital for health checks. They fear discrimination, not just from society, but from members of their own family," he said.

Blood tests for HIV/AIDS are available at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Gatot Subroto Army Hospital, Soekanto Police Hospital, Fatmawati Hospital, Soelianti Saroso Infection Hospital, Mintohardjo Navy Hospital, Persahabatan Hospital, Dharmais Cancer Hospital and Duren Sawit Hospital.

Agency spokeswoman Zelvino asked Jakartans to be prepared to have their blood taken, rather than being afraid due to discrimination. She said that trained staff members are on hand to provide counseling in the event that a test comes back positive.

Data from the agency suggests that the number of people with HIV/AIDS in the city has reached 1,282, or 25 percent of the national total of 4,389. However, experts are quick to point out that the actual number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the country is probably much higher.